


Outbreak

by Meilia



Category: RWBY
Genre: Because I don't like her character in the show, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Cinder is OOC, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mild Gore, POV Multiple, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:41:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22428784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meilia/pseuds/Meilia
Summary: Ozpin smiled at him, placing a hand on his head, “Helping others who are in need is the most important thing you can do at a time like this. It makes us remember that were still human."A RWBY AU inspired by Dying Light/The Last of Us. Multiple characters to show up in future chapters.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Implied Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Neptune Vasilias/Sun Wukong, Oscar Pine/Whitley Schnee, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 15
Kudos: 59





	1. No Signal

Blake sat on the steps of the apartment complex, watching people go by. She idly hummed, unconsciously twirling her hair between her fingers. It was a surprisingly quiet day; well as quiet as Boston could get. Heels clicked by her, a tall blonde woman looking to be on her way to work or an event of some kind. She watched her pass, her head resting against her hand,

"So do you have a thing for blondes or is it body that get you?" 

Blake blinked, jumping at the sudden voice. She frowned, looking at Adam standing in the entrance to the building,

"Don't think I won't punch you."

"It's my job to tease you." He messily ruffled her hair, "So which is it?"

His hand was quickly grabbed and twisted, a quiet 'ow' leaving him before she let go. Adam rubbed his hand, rolling his wrist.

"I think it's both."

He quirked a brow in curiosity,

"Hm?"

"I like both."

"Mm. That explains Wukong." 

Blake scooted over as redhead sat down next to her, eyeing him,

"I thought you had Kendo today."

"Canceled. Something about the instructor coming down with something," he cocked his head, looking away from his phone, "Speaking of, what are you doing here if you knew I had Kendo?"

"I... Parents."

"They want you to go back to Hawaii still?"

"Yeah... I just," she bit her lip, picking at her nails, "I want to live my life my own way, not theirs."

"Avoiding them isn't going to help, y'know."

Her frown deepened, her nails tapping against the concrete stairs,

"Arn't you suppose to be the bad influence?"

Adam shrugged, fiddling with his lip piercing,

"I want what's best for you. How you find it is beyond me."

A small laugh escaped her as she quirked a brow at him,

"How poetic."

"Zip it, kitty."

"Don't call me th-"

Blake's phone went off, her usually calm ringtone replaced with loud hip-hop. She answered, being cut off before she could even finish speaking,

"Sun? Whats-"

_"Blake! Where are you?!"_

"I'm outside Adam's, why? Sun what's going on?"

Loud screaming and clattering came from his end, muffled yelling barely registering through the phone. It was Neptune's voice coming through this time,

_"Get inside! Things are going go shit! Sage do you have Scar!?"_

_"Yeah I got him!"_

_"Sun-"_

_Call Dropped._

Blake looked at her phone in shock, before being grabbed by Adam and pulled towards the door,

"Wait Adam! We don't know where they are-"

"They can take care of themselves. I've sparred with your ex and he can handle it." 

They made their way up the steps, heading to Adam's apartment. Blake stopped on one of the floors, slowly approaching the window. Smoke poured out of the other side of the city, flashing lights poking through the grey clouds. Adam stood behind her, seemingly in an equal amount of shock.

"Adam... What's happening?"

"I... I don't know." 

He pulled her away from the window, offering a quiet 'come on'. They headed for the apartment as Adam flicked through his keys for a moment, before unlocking the door. Inside was a small, rundown studio apartment, black and red furniture and fixtures filling the room. Adam locked the door behind him, watching Blake attempt to make calls on her phone,

"It's not going through. Anyone I call keeps dropping." 

Adam pulled his phone out of his pocket, tossing it to her,

"Try mine. Worry about Sun later, see if you can call your parents." 

Blake took his phone, attempting to make more calls, while Adam headed to the TV. Grabbing the remote, he turned it on, flipping to the news channel. He slowly sat down on the futon, eyes narrowing at the screen. 

_'The virus that's first cases had appeared in the city of Chicago has seemingly spread across numerous other states. Due to this outbreak many airlines have been shut down both locally and internationally.'_

They both jumped a bit, hearing gunfire in the distance. 

_'Symptoms of the virus seem to make individuals increasingly violent towards others. We urge citizens to stay in their homes and-'_

Adam abruptly stood up, heading to his room. Blake frowned at him before looking back at his phone. She couldn't get a hold of anyone. Sun, Neptune, her parents; the calls would drop after the first two rings. The redhead stepped back in to the living room, shotgun in hand. Her grip on the phone tightened before heading to the window and swiftly pulling the black curtains shut. 

They really were on their own.


	2. PANIC!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a boys day out, Sun and his group of friends end up in the middle of a situation they never thought possible.

Sun slid on his knees, skateboard flying off in a random direction as he tilted his head back and letting out a disgruntled noise. He heard a loud laugh, only to look over and see Scarlet's smug face. Neptune shut his camcorder, walking over to help the blonde up,  
  
"Y' alright?"  
  
"Yeah. I slid it so I'm fine."  
  
"Need a bandaid for your pride, Wukong?"  
  
"Careful Scar, don't want to pop your ego."  
  
Scarlet opened his mouth to make a comeback, only to be cut short by Sage,  
  
"You guys are like toddlers I swear."  
  
Neptune chuckled a bit, resting his hand on his hip as Sun stuck his tongue out,  
  
"He's right you know. You guys squabble like little kids."  
  
"Hey hey look, he started it-"  
  
Before he could finish, the screeching of brakes followed by yelling stopped him in his tracks. The four looked to the street, a lone car stopped in the middle,  
  
"Oh shit did they hit someone?"  
  
Sun grabbed his board, heading towards the accident; the others following behind him. The driver was on the ground with another individual, clearly shaken. He was on the phone, in what the four could only assume was with the paramedics. The group ran over, Neptune pulling out his camcorder. Sage cringed at the blue haired male, shaking his head,  
  
"Seriously man?"  
  
"Morbid curiosity."  
  
"That's fucked up."  
  
"Can you guys shut it? Someone is literally dying!" Scarlet snapped at them.  
  
The individual on the ground twitched, head twisting to look at the driver. The man looked to Sun, still on the phone,  
  
"I can't get through to the paramedics! Can any of you kids call?"  
  
Scarlet pulled out his cell, dialing 911,  
  
"It says there's too many people calling. I can't get through."  
  
The man cursed, tapping away on his phone. Before he could say another word, he was grabbed from behind. The former victim wrenched the other male to the ground, sinking his teeth in to his shoulder. The four froze in shock as the man screamed, before Sage snapped out of it, pulling the man free as he shoved the other back to the ground.  
  
Blood spurted from the wound, the green haired male attempting to apply pressure to the area. Sun was the next to snap out of shock, attempting to help Sage with the man.  
  
"What the fuck was that?!"  
  
"I don't fucking know, that guy is insane!"  
  
The male that had been shoved to the ground shifted, his bones cracking as he growled animalistically at the group. It lunged forward, this time only to be stopped by a heel to the face from Sun,  
  
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" The blonde snapped, his board tightly grasped in his hands.  
  
"It-it's like he's on fucking bath salts," Scarlet choked out as he took a step back.  
  
Neptune grip tightened around his camera, hands shaking as he watched the man begin to pull himself off the ground again,  
  
"S-Sun get away from him!"  
  
The blonde's stature went rigid as he lurched towards him again, this time bringing his board down to meet the man's skull. Blood began to pool at Sun's feet, his board clattering to the ground. Neptune stuffed his camera in his pocket before rushing to Sun, grabbing his arm,  
  
"Sun- Sun are you okay?!"  
  
"I-I think I killed him. Oh god Nep I think I just-"  
  
Sage stopped Sun,  
  
"That doesn't matter right now! We need to get this guy to a hospital! Nep you can drive right?"  
  
"I-I mean yeah but-"  
  
Sage tossed Neptune the mans keys as he gently pulled the male to his feet,  
  
"Scar get over here and help me get him in the back seat!"  
  
Neptune caught the keys, but hesitated. He grabbed Sun's arm again, shaking him a bit,  
  
"Sun, come on we gotta go!"  
  
The blonde jumped, tearing his eyes away from the unmoving body on the ground. He nodded, stumbling over his own feet as the headed for the car.  
  


* * *

  
Sage and Scarlet sat in the backseat with the injured man, the redhead trying to keep him calm and awake.  
  
Neptune sat in the driverseat, Sun in the passenger. The blonde was still shaking, attempting to wipe the blood from his hands onto his acid washed jeans. The taller male glanced at Sun, his lips pursed. He reached over, grabbing Sun's hand and giving it a light squeeze,  
  
"It wasn't your fault Sun. It's gonna be okay."  
  
Sun glanced up at him, returning the reassuring squeeze,  
  
"Thanks..." He murmured, smiling weakly.  
  
Neptune smiled back, before looking in front of him and slamming on the breaks,  
  
"Fuck! God damn it what the fuck!"  
  
Cars were piling out of the hospital, people pouring both in and out of the doors. Sage shook his head,  
  
"We're never going to get in there; park it."  
  
"We're in the street!"  
  
Scarlet jumped in,  
  
"We also have a guy bleeding to death, if we get a ticket they can fucking bite me."  
  
Neptune let out an exasperated groan, putting the car in park. Scarlet and Sage were on either side of the man, helping him to the entrance. Sun and Neptune trailed behind, the taller male grabbing the blonde and pulling him to the side of the entrance.  
  
"Nep what are you doing, we gotta-"  
  
"They can handle it. Sun are you okay?"  
  
"I'm... I'm fine."  
  
Neptune put his hands on Sun's shoulders, locking eyes with him,  
  
"You don't have to lie to me, y'know. I'm here for you."  
  
Sun's lips pursed, a slight quiver rippling across them,  
  
"I killed someone Nep- No I'm not okay!"  
  
His voice cracked as he dug his fingers into his arms. He looked down at his feet, shaking his head. Neptune pulled Sun into his arms, holding him tight as Sun broke down. He rubbed the blonde's neck, before patting him on the back,  
  
"It wasn't your fault Sun, you didn't have a choice."  
  
Sun wiped his eyes, before running his fingers through his tangled hair,  
  
"I know I just-"  
  
Screams came from the hospital, followed by people pushing through the door in a wild panic. Neptune almost got knocked over as he was shoved, Sun barley grabbing his wrist to keep him from being swept away.  
  
"What the hell is going on?!"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
They were both shoved up against the wall, the screams of people drowning out anything they attempted to say to each other.  
  
"What are those things?!"  
  
"Monsters! Monsters!"  
  
Sage and Scarlet were still in there somewhere. The two looked at each other, seemingly having the same idea. Sun and Neptune pushed through the wave of people forcing themselves into the hospital.

* * *

  
Passing through the halls, more muffled screaming and clattering echoing around them.  
  
"Where the hell are they?"  
  
"I don't know, but whatever is going on can't be good."  
  
The two pushed open a door; Sun stopping in his tracks while Neptune covered his mouth, holding back the urge to vomit. Blood was splattered on seemingly every surface. Bodies were strewn across the floor, some whole, some in pieces.  
  
"Oh my god."  
  
"S-Sun we need to get out of he-"  
  
  
The sound of dragging footsteps caught their attention. They assumed that maybe it was a patient, possibly an injured employee... Not... That.  
  
It was a woman, at least it looked like it use to be. Blood dripped down her chin, hazy, foggy eyes noticing the two teens at the end of the hall. She turned, giving the boys a clear view of her. Sun stared in shock, Neptune heaving at the sight, his hands clamping over his mouth tighter. The woman's stomach looked bloated, insides twisted around her on display. Her ribs poked through her skin, the deformed mass pulsating as she hobbled towards them.  
  
Her slow hobble turned to a slight run as she let out a screech. Sun stumbled back, slamming the door shut in front of him and holding the knob. The door shook as the woman slammed against it, wailing coming from the other side. The blonde's knuckles were white as he held the knob, his body shaking. Neptune watched the door shake on its hinges, before looking to Sun's hands,  
  
"Sun. Let the knob go."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"She... I don't think she's using the knob."  
  
Sun stared at Neptune before looking back to the door. He slowly let go, watching the door continue to shake violently. Neptune grabbed Sun's hand, heading back the way they came. People were still flooding out of the building, however this time, they could see tufts of green hair in between the crowds of people.  
  
"SAGE! SAGE, SCARLET!"  
  
Sage turned, doubling back through the crowd with Scarlet in hand. Sun hugged Sage, letting out a deep breath, while Neptune pulled in Scarlet.  
  
"Oh god we thought something horrible happened to you guys."  
  
"Sun, shit is going bad people are-"  
  
"Turning into the fucking undead? Yeah we saw."  
  
The four made their way out of the hospital, being shoved along the way. Sun pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Calling Blake; shit is going bad and she needs to know to stay away from here."  
  
He covered one ear, holding the phone to his other. She picked up after a couple rings. Her voice was casual, which was a good sign,  
  
 _"Sun? Whats-"_  
  
"Blake! Where are you?!"  
  
More screaming came from the hospital, even louder and more panicked than before.  
  
 _"I'm outside Adam's, why? Sun what's going on?"_  
  
People slammed into them, his phone clattering to the ground. Neptune dove for it, almost getting stepped on in the process,  
  
"Get inside! Things are going go shit! Sage do you have Scar!?"  
  
"Yeah I got him!"  
  
"Sun-"  
  
"I'm here! Are you okay?!"  
  
Sun pulled Neptune off the ground, regrouping with Sage and Scarlet,  
  
"Shit the call dropped."  
  
"Neptune do you still have the car keys?"  
  
"Yeah why- No."  
  
"Neptune-" The blonde started, only to be cut off.  
  
"We are NOT stealing a car!"  
  
Scarlet's frustration and stress was apparent, and he couldn't hold it in anymore,  
  
"Vasilias, if those THINGS get us we'll have a lot more to worry about than a fucking MISDEMEANOR!"  
  
"ALRIGHT I GET IT!"  
  
Sun and Sage stepped between the two, attempting to calm them down before heading for the vehicle. Neptune slid into the driver seat, hands shaking as he gripped the wheel. Sage patted him on the back, all of them watching the hospital disappear behind them. Unfortunately, chaos didn't seem to dissipate.  
  
More and more people ran through the nearby streets, the tall male jerking the vehicle to a stop on multiple occasions. In the distance behind them, they heard a loud 'BOOM' followed by the sound of gunfire. Scarlet jumped, ducking his head down,  
  
"What the fuck?!"  
  
"Neptune could you y'know. Drive faster?" Sage murmured, voice tense.  
  
Sun turned to the back seat, putting his hands up,  
  
"Calm down guys, we're all really stressed out, and Nep is doing the best he can."  
  
Neptune slammed on the breaks again as another pedestrian ran in front of the car, his shoulders visibly tensing,  
  
"EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP!"  
  
Sun winced. Neptune never really yelled at anyone. He put his hand on the man's shoulder, forcing a smile,  
  
"You're doing fine, buddy. We'll get where we need to go."  
  
Neptune twitched at the touch, before taking a deep breath. Sun was right, he just needed to focus. After a few more minutes of stop and go, the group finally saw some peace. An eerie feeling still hung thick in the air however; citizens scrambling up and down sidewalks. Some looking to leave while others locked up their homes. The four stole nervous glances at each other, none of them wanting to make any assumptions on the situation.  
  
Pulling up to the apartment complex, Sage and Scarlet slipped out, while Neptune and Sun sat in the car for a moment. Neptune let out shaky breaths, running his fingers through his hair.  
  
"Hey, you got us here," the blonde grinned at him, "Just like I said you would."  
  
The tall male, offered a half smile; rubbing his temple. They both stepped out of the car, heading up the steps. Sage and Scarlet were both staring out the window; watching the far side of the city billow with smoke. Sun stared with them for a moment, before pulling them away and heading up to Adam's door.  
  
A couple moments after knocking, they could hear muffled voices from the other side. Blake opened the door, pulling Sun and Neptune into a hug,  
  
"Are you all alright?!"  
  
"We're fine," he looked to Adam, who was standing in the doorway, shotgun in hand, "I take it you heard what's going on."  
  
The man quirked a brow, shrugging,  
  
"Vaguely; enough to know that violence may be involved."  
  
"Adam!"  
  
He rolled his eyes as Blake gave him a look. Sun scratched the back of his head, exchanging looks with his group,  
  
"I... Don't think Adam is too far off."  
  
Blake's brows knit, her arms crossing,  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Neptune pulled his camcorder out of his pocket as the four piled into the small apartment,  
  
"You're gonna want to see this."  
  



	3. Little Firefly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While dealing with the current chaos of his divorce, Ozma realizes something just isn't quite right.

Ozma rubbed his eyes, trudging down the wooden stairs. His hair poked out in random directions, exhaustion evident on his face. He made a b-line to the kitchen, heading for the coffee maker. He stared blankly at the machine, waiting impatiently. It was only then he noticed something; it was... Quiet. No screaming girls, no loud hair dryers- where was everyone? Letting out a quiet hum, he grabbed his mug before heading to the living room.  
  
Another set of footsteps came down the stairs, catching his attention. He frowned deeply, before sitting down in his recliner.  
  
"What, no good morning?"  
  
Ozma let out a breath, looking to his soon to be ex-wife,  
  
"Good morning, Salem."  
  
Salem smiled, standing at the bottom of the stairs. She was fully dressed, her lab coat in her hand,  
  
"That's better; I won't be home until late, just so you know."  
  
"Where are the girls?"  
  
"They went on a trip for school. I gave them the okay-I'm sure you don't mind."  
  
His brows furrowed, lips pursed. A trip? None of the girls mentioned a trip. Though seeing as they were not on good terms since the surfacing of the divorce; he wouldn't be surprised. Salem frowned at his silence, heading for the door,  
  
"You truly are pathetic." She muttered, slipping her heels on before closing the door behind her.  
  
Ozma ignored the jab, sitting up in his chair. He grabbed his phone, dialing one of his daughters. At the very least he'd like to know where they'd be staying. A muffled ring came from up the stairs, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He headed to the second floor, standing in the hallway.  
  
After three more calls; and three more ringtones coming from each room he came a conclusion. Something wasn't right. What teenage girl leaves their cell phone at home. If nothing was wrong, he knew he'd be yelled at; but regardless of his daughters hating him he needed to know they were okay. Ozma stepped into one of the girls rooms, looking for anything that may give a clue to where they were.  
  
Room to room, nothing was presenting itself as useful. He stared at the door of the last room, lips pursing. Cinder's was the last of the four. She had stuck the closest to Salem's side with the mention of the divorce; so what did he have to lose. He stepped into her room, rifling through her things. CDs, discarded homework, and the occasional family picture, which his face had been aggressively scratched out of.  
  
He'd admit, that stung. However that wasn't his concern right now. Ozma finally came across her journal- but he hesitated. If he did this, and if he was wrong, Cinder would likely never talk to him again. Though in hindsight, she barely talked to him as it is. He began flipping through the pages, doing his best to ignore what he could only deem more private parts of book.  
  
Ozma neared the end, finally coming across something out of sorts.  
  
 _‘Were heading to the lake house tomorrow to help mom with her tests. She said what she's working on could really make a difference.’_  
  
His brows furrowed, eyes narrowing in suspicion. The lake house?  
  
"School trip; right."  
  
Heading to his room, he threw on a button up shirt and a pair of slacks, not caring for his appearance much. He spun the keys on his finger, before tightly gripping them. Why would Salem make up a false school trip? A knot began to form in his stomach as he settled into his car.  


* * *

  
After an hour drive, Ozma pulled up to the house. Slipping out of the driver seat, his scuffed dress shoes crunched against the gravel. He stepped into the foyer, looking at the three pairs of shoes on the rack. Slipping off his own, he added them to the rack, heading to the living room,  
  
"Girls?"  
  
His voice echoed in the room, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Tossing his jacket on the couch, he let out a huff.  
  
"Cind-!"  
  
A loud bang came from the basement, causing him to pause. Ozma frowned, heading to the door. He grabbed the knob, the door jarring at first. The steps creaked in protest as he descended; his stomach began to churn again. Something about this entire situation didn't seem right.  
  
Nearing the end of the stairs, the room began to come into focus, his blood running cold. It looked to be a makeshift lab of sorts; just enough equipment to get by. Curtains were hung along the ceiling, covering cases of some kind along the wall.  
  
"God Salem, what have you been doing."  
  
A muffled voice came from behind the curtains, followed by loud banging,  
  
"Dad? DAD!"  
  
"Cinder?!"  
  
Ozma rushed to the other side of the room, ripping the curtain off its hooks. Large glass cases lined the wall, each separated into 4 sections. He stumbled back as the glass was slammed into, animalistic growling and screaming coming from the other side. They were his girls, or at least they had been. Blood was dripping from seemingly every orifice on their face. Their eyes were discolored, veins swollen and red.   
  
Ozma stood in shock, staring at the horrors in front of him. No, this wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening-  
  
"Dad!"  
  
The voice knocked him out of his mental block, his attention turning to the case on the far left. Cinder was pressed against the glass; tears stained her cheeks, the look of panic clear on her face. He rushed to her, placing his hands on the glass,  
  
"It's gonna be okay, you're going to be fine, firefly."  
  
Ozma composed himself the best he could; he had to stay strong for her. He looked around the room, searching for anything sharp enough to shatter the glass with before grabbing a chair. He motioned for Cinder to move back,

“Stay back, I’m gonna get you out!”

She pushed herself against the wall, covering her head. Ozma slammed the ends of the chair legs into the case, blunt cubes of fractured glass flying every which way. He dropped the object, quickly rushing to his daughter,  
  
"I'm here, it's alright I'm here."  
  
"She told us not to tell you! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she sobbed, clinging to her father.  
  
Ozma held her close, doing his best to keep his composure as his other daughters aggressively banged against the glass,  
  
"It's okay, it's okay; I need you to calm down the best you can okay?" He held her face, wiping her tears away, her mascara smearing, "What did your mother do to you?"  
  
Cinder rubbed her eyes, flinching at the sound next to her, "S-she injected us with... Something."   
  
He needed more than that. Ozma's brows furrowed as he took a breath. Focus. Just focus on what's important.  
  
"Where did she inject it?"  
  
She rolled her left arm over, revealing discolored veins running up her arm. He nodded, pulling her up,  
  
"Can you walk?"  
  
Cinder nodded weakly, carefully doing her best to shakily step around the glass. Ozma helped her out of the lab, walking her to the couch upstairs,  
  
"Stay here; I'll be RIGHT back, okay?"  
  
As he turned to leave, she grabbed his sleeve,  
  
"Am I going to die?" She stared at him, her lips pursed.  
  
He looked at her, eyes wavering. Ozma had no idea what Salem did to her, how long it took the other girls to become so violent, what kind of disease or virus she even made- whether it was reversible.  
  
"No, you're going to be fine, firefly." He forced a smile, rubbing her hand.   
  
Quickly heading back down to the lab, he began to rummage through Salem's notes and files. He shook his head, grabbing any information he could. Looking to his girls, his heart ached. It hadn't fully set in what had become of his family, but it was beginning to. However he couldn't mourn just yet, he needed to do what he could to save Cinder. That's right; if he could help Cinder, then maybe he could save his daughters.  
  
Heading back up the stairs, Cinder was curled up on the couch. Ozma grabbed his jacket, gently pulling it over her shoulders,  
  
"We've got to go."  
  
"But what about-"  
  
"I know-" Ozma paused, almost wincing as he spoke, "But I need to focus on you right now."  
  
They made their way to the car, Ozma pulling out his cell. Once he got Cinder situated in the passenger seat, he calling the only person he knew that he could trust,  
  
"Glynda? I need your help." 

* * *

Ozma pulled up to the school, quickly getting out of the car. Glynda approached the car quickly, looking at Ozma skeptically. Her hair was pulled up in its usual neat bun, attire equally as pristine, 

“I’m taking a chance letting you bring her here, Ozma.”

“I know, and I owe you; You’re the only person that I know I could call.”

He opened the passenger door, helping Cinder out. She looked worse than before; she was ghostly pale, most color drained from her face. Glynda’s brows furrowed, looking back at Ozma. Cinder held onto his shoulder, the group hobbling into the university. 

Glynda led them to a room, helping the younger woman get settled,

“Ozma? A moment please?” She murmured, looking to the man. 

He nodded, giving Cinders shoulder a squeeze before stepping out of the room.

“From what you told me, if you can't stop this virus what's your plan?”

“I can stop it- I will. I will stop it.” 

“Oz-”

“I CAN'T fail, Glynda!” He snapped before taking a deep breath, calming himself, “She's all I have left of my family- I can't lose her. If I can create something to help her, then maybe I can save my other daughters.” 

The woman paused for a moment, letting out a sigh,

“Alright. We'll do what we can but you know guarantees are not something we do in this field; you of all people should know that.”

He offered a slight nod, before getting to work. Taking blood samples, cross referencing from the notes he'd grabbed from the lake house; time felt like it was flying by. Ozma's glasses were perched on his nose, his sleeves pushed up and tie loosened. Glynda pushed open the door, approaching him,

“Ozma.”

“Hm…?”

“She's… getting worse.” 

He rubbed his temple, switching places with Glynda. The sound of his footsteps seemed deafening as he approached the room. His hand hovered over the knob before grabbing it and slipping into the room. 

Cinder was sitting in the middle of the bed, her chin resting on her knees. Veins krept up her left arm, trailing all the way to her neck. Her eye was becoming discolored, its normal rich brown becoming a abnormal gold. She looked towards the door, watching her father quietly shutting it behind him. 

“How are you doing?” 

“How do I look like I feel.” She muttered, letting out a shaky breath. 

Ozma sat down on the edge of the bed, offering his hand to her, 

“It’s going to be alright, I promise.” 

Cinder offered him a glance, frowning,

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I know. I guess it's a good thing I’m with the girl who seems to always defies reality.” He chuckled a bit before fading to a more somber tone, “I’m sorry. About all of this.”

“How were you suppose to know mom was insane; not your fault.” 

“I mean about everything. Not being there enough, the divorce, everything.” He paused, brows furrowing, “If I had been closer to all of you, none of this would have happened.” 

Ozma began rubbing his temples again, shaking his head. He felt thin fingers wrap around his hand, looking up to Cinder. She gave his hand a squeeze, resting her head on her knee, 

“I’m… Sorry too. I was a massive bitch to you- Because I wanted someone to blame. I needed to feel in control over something that I knew nothing about.” She smirked at him, quirking a brow, “But I guess I’ve always been that way.” 

A laugh escaped him, a smile on his face,

“You were a bit; agressive I guess.”

“Did you just agree that I was a bitch?”

“I didn’t say that.”

She laughed, weakly hitting his arm, 

“You didn’t deny it either.”

“That’s fair.” 

The door creaked open, Glynda’s head peeking in,

“Ozma. I need you.”

They both looked at her, before looking at each other. He let out a breath, standing up. Cinder gave his hand a last squeeze as she let go. Ozma kissed the top of her head, rubbing her shoulder,

“I’ll be right back; hang in there for me, okay firefly?”

“I’ll be sure to sink all my stubbornness into it, don't worry.”

He followed Glynda out of the room, closing the door,

“What is it?”  
“What you were working on, I think it might work.”

Ozma’s eyes widened, practically sprinting to the lab, Glynda’s heels clicking after him. Glynda began walking him through the information, step by step. He leaned back in his chair, attempting to process everything.

“It won't cure her, but-”

“It’ll buy me time.”

She nodded, taping her nails against the desk, 

“Simply put yes. It is only a suppressant, however It’s the best option we have with how her condition has been declining.” 

He chewed on the end of his pen, brows narrowed, 

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then we’re out of options.”

Ozma closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Glynda patiently waited for his response, idly adjusting her glasses. After a moment, he looked at her with an expression she hadn’t seen on him in a very long time; sobriety. Oz had always shown to be a very kind hearted, down to earth individual. He was rarely rigid or overly serious, though she supposed he had good reason. He stood up abruptly, heading for the door,

“Get the injection ready as soon as possible and meet me in her room.”

“If she becomes violent like you assume-”

“Then quarantine the area and call for security.”

She looked at him, frowning,

“You’re going to stay in there, aren't you?” 

His fading voice came from the hallway, making her frown deepen,

“She’s not just a patient, Glynda. She's my daughter.”

She quickly gathered the necessary equipment, heading to Cinder’s room. As she entered, Cinder was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her arms. Ozma took the tray from her, placing it on the table next to the bed. He pulled his gloves on while Glynda wiped down Cinder’s arm, disinfecting the area. Carefully taking the syringe, he looked to his daughter,

“Are you ready?”

She took a deep breath, turning her head to the side,

“Yeah, I’m ready.” 

Cinder winced as the needle pierced skin, her fingers digging into the bed. Ozma place the syringe back on the tray, swiftly removing his gloves. Glynda wiped the area on the young girls arm again, wrapping a strip of gauze around her elbow. She took the tray from Oz, murmuring to him quietly,

_‘I’ll be watching.’_

_‘I know.’_ He murmured back, watching her leave the room. Cinder, pushed her hair out of her face, revealing a deep red, almost scar looking shape; it started from the bottom of her eye, finally ending mid cheek. Ozma took a seat next to her, cocking his head,

“Feeling alright?”

“You’re not going with her?”

He raised a brow in confusion, looking at her,

“Why would I?”

Cinder pulled her legs back onto the bed, resting her chin against her knee,

“You saw what happened to Willa and everyone. You don’t know if it’s going to work.”

“Of course it’s goi-”

“I’m the daughter of two bio-engineers. I know that things don't always work out the way you want them to.” 

He pursed his lips, pulling his glasses off, 

“Whatever happens, I’ll be here with you.” Ozma smiled at her weakly, putting his hand on her shoulder. 

She was still for a moment, before scooting closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her, leaning back against the wall, 

"Everything is going to be okay.”

* * *

“So you’re just up and leaving?”

Glynda watched Ozma close the trunk of his car, his research equipment clattering inside,

“I need somewhere with free reign to work; plus with Cinder’s condition it’s too risky to keep her in such a highly populated area.”

The woman rolled her eyes, frowning at him,

“You know, there has been a virus surfacing in-”

“Chicago.”

He rubbed his head, frowning deeply,

“There’s no way to be sure that it’s the same virus Salem developed.” He murmured, brows furrowing. 

“However many of the symptoms are those your daughter showed. I’m going to put in a request to mass produce the suppressant.”

Ozma leaned against the car, crossing his arms, 

“I’ll be staying at our home up in Wyoming. It’s practically off the grid unless you know where to find it.”

Glynda hummed, nodding her head, 

“I take it you’d like some amount of the suppressant sent there.”

“To the town below, as much as you can send.” He paused a moment, closing his eyes, “I don’t know how long it could take to create a cure; if this turns into an epidemic… I need to focus on my work.” 

Cinder walked down the steps of the house, backpack and suitcase in tow. Her choppy short hair bounced as she walked. Ozma looked to her, eyeing her luggage,

“Is that all of it?”

“I need my archery equipment.” 

“Why?”

She quirked a brow at him, tossing her backpack in his direction,

“I need something to do while you’re glued to your desk.”

He smiled, catching the bag thrown his way, 

“That’s fair.”

Cinder offered a smirk, heading back into the house. They both watched her go, Glynda looked back to Oz, a small grin on her face,

“You cut her hair?”

“It was an attempt.” 

She shook her head, resting a hand on her hip,

“You two stay in touch; to the best of your ability that is. We’re on thin ice if Salem has actually mobilized the virus.”

“I’m aware. I just… Pray it isn’t.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos this far! I really appreciate it! Sorry about Cinder being so OOC, but I just really don't like her character in the show and wanted to do a spin on it. Hopefully you can forgive me.


	4. Safety in Numbers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of chaos, Blake and Adam are finally brought up to date on what's happening. While trying to figure out what to do next, Blake wonders; is Sun really okay?

Blake stared at the camera in shock, looking to Sun,  
  
"And this guy... He got hit by a car?"  
  
Adam closed his eyes, aggressively rubbing his temple while Blake processed the information.  
  
"From what we could tell yeah. At first we just thought it was some crazy guy that was on something but..."  
  
Neptune's body shook as he scratched the back of his head,  
  
"When we were at the hospital... There was a woman. She... It was like something you'd see in a horror film."  
  
Sun rubbed Neptune's shoulder, attempting to ease some of his tension. Sage also gave the male a pat on the back, before looking to the others,  
  
"So what's the plan now?"  
  
Scarlet let out a disgruntled noise, frowning,  
  
"What -is- the plan? Our cells are down, and things are goin' down hill pretty fuckin' quick."  
  
Blake's brows furrowed as she bit her lip, deep in thought. Sage continued,  
  
"People are panicking. Chaos is practically running through the whole city right now."  
  
Adam frowned at them, offering a sigh. He didn't like people in his house.  
  
"You might as well stay here until it blows over," Blake blinked, looking at Adam in surprise as he continued, "It's better to have numbers in this situation. Plus we have no contact with anyone else we know."  
  
Sun nodded in agreement, resting his chin on his hand,  
  
"At least this way we know where we all are; plus the cops are already on it from what we saw on the way here; plus what you guys saw on tv."  
  
Sage looked to Neptune, frowning as he leaned down and murmured quietly,  
  
"Are you gonna be okay?"  
  
He let out a huff, nodding his head against his knee. Adam leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the battered coffee table,  
  
"So we stay here and wait for things to hopefully blow over," he began muttering to himself,  
  
_‘And try not to kill each other…’_  
  
Blake punched his shoulder before crossing her arms,  
  
"Sun, could I talk to you for a second?"  
  
He looked up, running his fingers through his scraggly hair,  
  
"Uh. Sure..?"  
  
She motioned to Adam's room, causing the redhead to quirk a brow. Blake made a zipping motion across her lips as she made eye contact with him, resulting in a frown. He rolled his eyes before looking back to the other three, further discussing their plans. Sun slipped into the room, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie,  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
He huffed, smirking at her,  
  
"That's becoming a preeetty common question, y'know," he paused, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm all good. We just got shaken up a bit. Nep is probably taking it the worst; with the anxiety and all."  
  
Blake's eyes narrowed, her arms crossing,  
  
"Sun, I know you mean well. You always try to look out for everyone," her grip on her arms tightened, brows knitted with worry, "But I don't want you to bottle up everything. I of all people know that."  
  
Sun smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder,  
  
"Blake, I'm fine. Really. I was a little shaken up, but I'm good now."  
  
She looked at him, clearly unconvinced. He put his hands up, offering another shrug,  
  
"Look, I can take some pressure. I've got more important people to worry about."  
  
"Sun, I know Neptune is your best friend but you can't just-"  
  
"If I stay cool, he stays cool. I'm okay; I'm always okay."  
  
Sun rocked on his heels, stuffing his hands back in his pockets,  
  
"So is that all? Anything else?"  
  
"I..." Blake stopped, huffing quietly, "Yes, that's all."  
  
"Great!", he chirped, heading towards the door with a spring in his step.  
  
She grabbed his sleeve, glancing at him in the corner of her eye,  
  
"You can talk to me; you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
As he stepped out of the room, Blake heard him chatting away as usual; cracking jokes, being his nonchalant self. However, she knew better. She had grown to know Sun better than that. The look she saw, the slight waver in his facade right before he'd left the room.  
  
He was afraid, and he didn't know what to do about it. A knock on the door jam pulled her out of her thoughts, eyes meeting Adam's. He quirked a brow, his hand resting on the door,  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
She let out a breath, pushing her hair out of her face,  
  
"It's nothing; just... Overthinking again."  
  
Adam hummed, stepping into the room. He closed the door behind him, dropping onto his bed,  
  
"He's strange, isn't he?"  
  
"Who, Sun?"  
  
He offered a nod, resting his chin on his hand,  
  
"A damn good actor though."  
  
She flinched at that, rubbing the back of her neck,  
  
"You could tell too, then."  
  
"You don't just kill someone and bounce back, Blake," he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, raising his eyebrow at her for permission.  
  
She waved her hand, sitting down on one of the few bean bags around the room,  
  
"I just-I wish he'd talk to me; to anyone. Even when we were dating he always tried to bury his problems it's like-"  
  
"You." Adam flicked his lighter, the cigarette between his teeth. Blake crossed her arms, brows narrowing,  
  
"What do you mean 'me'?"  
  
He let out a puff of smoke, drumming his thumb against the dresser,  
  
"You bottle things up; you think it helps to keep to yourself until it comes and bites you in the ass."  
  
She sunk into the chair, shrinking back,  
  
"That's different."  
  
"Oh bullshit it's different." He frowned, looking at her, "Enlighten me on how it's different."  
  
Adam puffed away on his cigarette, knowing that no answer would come. He rubbed his temple, snuffing the butt out against the wood,  
  
"Pulling the pin on a grenade and sticking it in a box doesn't make it go away; it just means no one can see it."  
  
Blake nodded, biting her lip. She hated when he was right.  
  
"It's... Hard. To open up." She mumbled, placing her hands on her lap.  
  
"And it's probably a bitch for him too. Especially with the pool noodle getting ready to go into cardiac arrest."  
  
He flicked the butt at her, only to get a pillow to the face in return,  
  
"He has a name, you know."  
  
"Your friends, not mine."  
  
Blake rolled her eyes, brows furrowing,  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"Vasilias? Better than before. He calmed down a bit after Wukong came back out."  
  
"Mm." She cocked her head, staring at the carpet.  
  
"You're thinking again."  
  
"Force of habit." She mused, pushing her hair back, "He really does depend on Sun, doesn't he?"  
  
"Like a fish needs water; no irony intended."  
  
Blake rolled her eyes at his comparison, frowning. Adam shrugged, flicking his lighter on and off,  
  
"They don't seem like they'd be each others type."  
  
"Excuse me?" She quirked a brow.  
  
"Street kid and a rich boy. Don't think I don't know money when I see it."  
  
"He's... Different. Sun and Neptune have a long history. They've been friends long before I even met Sun."  
  
He raised his eyebrows, shrugging,  
  
"Guess he's not after anything then."  
  
"Well... I wouldn't say that."  
  
"I thought you said he was 'different'."  
  
Blake paused, brows knitting,  
  
"He is! I mean... I don't know for sure what he's after- I'm just speculating. Regardless it's not my place to say."  
  
Adam looked at her, deadpanning,  
  
"That definitely didn't make things more vague."  
  
He stood up, offering her a hand. She grabbed it, pulling herself out of the chair,  
  
"Just know he's a good guy. He has his... Moments but he means well." 

Adam shrugged, rolling his eyes,

“Not like I give a damn. The sooner this thing is over, the better.” 

They headed back into the living room; Sun and Scarlet bickered as always, a nonchalant tone in each of their voices. Sage was leaning back in a recliner, a miscellaneous magazine covering his face. Neptune had seemed to be doing better, occasionally snickering as he watched the two argue.

“Take out is waaay better than pizza, just admit it.”

Scarlet scoffed, waving his hand,

“Wrong. It's not even near the same level as pizza.”

Sun let out an exasperated noise, 

“Neptune agrees with me!”

“Neptune ALWAYS agrees with you!”

Neptune opened his mouth to defend himself, before flushing and sinking back into the couch cushions. Scarlet deadpanned in response, offering an exaggerated motion towards the male. 

“Okay okay,” Sun turned on his heel, pointing at Blake and Adam,

“You two, Pizza or Chinese takeout?”

“Pizza.”

“Takeout.”

They both responded in tandem, Adam quirking a brow,

“I respect your opinion, but it's wrong.” 

Blake frowned, crossing her arms,

“Pizza is so basic, takeout has more options.” 

“But you can still custom-”

Before he could finish, the TV promptly flicked off, all the lights going with it. Blake was promptly blinded by the flashlight on Sun's phone. He offered a quick 'sorry’ before following Adam to the window. The redhead, pulled the curtains aside, revealing a pitch black view, a couple of lights flickering in the distance,

“Blackout?” 

“Someone may have hit a power line,” Neptune offered, now standing next to the recliner. 

Adam's eyes narrowed as he continued to peer out the window. Blake let out a breath, looking at Adam,

“Do you still have those candles I left here?” 

“I think so. In the TV hutch.” 

She nodded, beckoning Sun over for light. Adam leaned against the window, continuing to watch outside. He listened to the distant gunfire and screaming, his grip on the frame tightening. After a moment, he pulled the curtain shut. Blake lit a candle, carefully using it to light others while the boys positioned them around the apartment. 

Neptune sat down on the couch, bouncing as Sun flopped down next to him. Meanwhile, Blake helped Adam with blankets and pillows for the nights ahead. He looked at her, examining the worry painted across her face. 

“Hey,” he placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a slight shake, “Now isn't the time to worry.”

“But-”

“Focus on the now, not the what ifs.” 

He casually pinched her cheek, a disgruntled noise leaving her. Blake watched him head back into the living room, sighing as she shut the closet. She glanced to his window; police lights peeking through the curtain.

“Hard to focus on the now when things are falling apart.”

  
  
  



	5. No Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dealing with a heavy work week, Pyrrha and Jaune decide to get some lunch. However, their relaxing afternoon out takes a turn.

“64.95 meters!”

Pyrrha wiped her brow, smiling sheepishly as her track teammates awed. 

“Wow Pyrrha you're amazing!”

“You're such an amazing athlete! Our college team would be nowhere near as great without you!”

She put her hands up in front of her, offering an awkward laugh,

“You are all very talented as well!”

The group continued to drown her in praise as she looked for an escape. A bit of blonde peeked over a hedge on the far side of the field, catching her attention. She pointed towards the direction loosely, taking a few long side steps away,

“Oh look at that! One of my friends are here; I'll see you all tomorrow!”

Pyrrha took off in a sprint, dashing off the field. She took a sharp turn around the hedge, only to come crashing into a familiar clumsy blonde. She steadied herself, barely grabbing his hand in time before he hit the ground.

“Sorry!” 

“Oh; Hey Pyrrha.” 

Jaune blinked tiredly, use to this occurrence by now. Pyrrha apologized again, helping him pick up his scattered belongings. She dusted herself off, looking at him with concern,

“Jaune, you look exhausted.”

“I'm fine- I just had a latte with a double shot of espresso.” 

“Jaune… I know you're very… dedicated to your studies but you need sleep. Or at least take a break; I'm- We're all very worried about you.” 

He waved his hand, his books tucked under his other arm,

“Med school doesn't sleep, P.” 

She gave him a look, reminiscent of a disapproving mother. Jaune frowned, shrugging loosely,

“Alright alright. I'll take a break. Wanna go get lunch?”

“O-oh! Just the two of us?”

“Sounds like a plan. I think Ren and Nora are working today anyways.”

Pyrrha flushed, rubbing the back of her neck,

“Sounds wonderful! I just need to wash up and change-Text me the place?”

“I was thinking the ramen joint we usually go to. I'm gonna drop my essay off and I'll head there.” 

She nodded, awkwardly backing away,

“I'll see you then!”

Jaune watched her disappear back behind the hedge, scratching his head. He let out a yawn, shrugging and heading towards the school. Pyrrha put her hands to her cheeks, feeling the heat radiating off of them.

_'It is not a date; just friends going out for lunch.’_

She made her way back to the locker room, heading to the shower. Peeling off her track clothes, she hopped in the shower. Pyrrha sighed, resting her head against the tile wall. She'd been tiptoeing around Jaune for years now, but she just didn't have it in her to confess. Washing out her hair, she huffed, brows furrowing. Today was the day; she could do this.

She headed to her locker, pulling out a simple tank top and shorts. Her damp hair was promptly wrung out and combed, being pulled into her usual high ponytail. Pyrrha looked at herself in the mirror, rubbing her arms. Her fingers tracing over her noticeable muscles, feeling herself become more self conscious by the second. She let out a sigh of discomfort, before pulling on a simple jean jacket.

She promptly shook her head, willing the uncomfortable thoughts away as she grabbed her purse. Making her way down the steps of the building, she pulled out her phone, sending a quick text to Jaune,

_‘On my way! Be there soon. :)’_

_‘gottcha see u soon’_

Pyrrha’s face flushed, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She quickly made her way to their usual spot; it was a small ramen shop just a ten minute walk away from the university. Rounding the street corner, she could see the small restaurant popping out of the strip. Large lanterns hung from the overhang, a battered menu board leaned against two flags poles slotted in the ground. 

Jaune was standing in front of the entrance, tapping away on his phone; his usual 'Pumpkin Pete’ hoodie thrown over a loose tee.

Pyrrha took a deep breath, pausing for a moment. She checked herself in the adjacent window, frowning at her unkempt hair and rather bland appearance. Patting her cheeks, she composed herself as she approached him,

“Hello!” 

He looked up and smiled at her, pocketing his device,

“Ready for some food? I've been living off of frozen dinners for the past week.”

“Absolutely! It's been a while since I had a good meal as well.”

“You mean a guilty pleasure meal.”

She rubbed the back of her neck, smiling sheepishly,

“Well, yes.” 

Jaune chuckled, heading into the restaurant,

“I know you're very health conscious, and it's a good thing; however you should let yourself enjoy things,” he turned on his heel, pointing at her with a grin, “As a future nurse I advise ramen at least once a week.” 

She smiled, a small laugh escaping her. They were swiftly seated, the waiter already knowing their regular orders. Jaune pulled off his hoodie, hanging it off the back of the chair,

“Man I hate this heat- How are you even wearing that? It's like ninety.”

Pyrrha looked up from her water, eyebrows raising. She laughed sheepishly, tucking her hair behind her ear,

“I'm fine! A little heat doesn't hurt.” 

Jaune eyed her with skepticism, before letting the subject drop. They made casual chit chat, mostly revolving around work and their personal lives. 

“So you're still undeclared?”

“Ah- Yes. I guess I haven't put much thought into what I want to do with my future, ironically.” 

“Well I mean; You're pretty amazing at everything so whatever you pick I'm sure it'll work out.” 

Her face flushed, as she stirred the ice in her glass,

“Thank you, I'll have to put more thought into it.” 

Pyrrha bounced her knee under the table, biting her lip. The blonde cocked his head, raising a brow, 

“You okay, P?”

She took a deep breath, pulling her hands to her lap. Tilting her head down, she glanced at him,

“Jaune I-”

A scream came from the entrance, the hostess stumbling out into the dining area, hands over her mouth. Another employee ran to the front, commotion spreading throughout the restaurant,

“We need a doctor! Someone call 911!” 

Jaune got out of his chair immediately rushing to the front, Pyrrha grabbing his jacket before chasing after him. They pushed through the now large group of people crowded around the front of the establishment, practically shoving people out of the way, 

“Out of the way! Med student coming through!”

Finally making it to the front, one of the shop employees was knelt on the ground with another woman, phone in hand. Jaune quickly rushed to their side, quickly pressing down on the bleeding wound on the woman's shoulder,

“Pyrrha give me my jacket!” 

She handed over his jacket, watching him promptly press it to the wound, blood seeping through the fabric, 

“Is there anything I can do?” 

Jaune pushed his hair back, sweat dripping down his face, 

“Try to get people away, we need room when paramedics get here!”

Pyrrha nodded, attempting to wave bystanders out of the way. She looked back at Jaune, her brows knit in concern,

“How is she?” 

“She’s hanging in there; can you come over here and keep pressure on the area? I’m gonna go try to get some ice to stop the swelling.”

She nodded, quickly changing places with him, watching as he ran back into the restaurant. Pyrrha looked back at her, offering a soft smile, 

“You’re going to be fine; don’t worry.”

The woman looked at her, letting out a shaky breath before nodding slightly. Jaune rushed back, a bag of ice in hand, 

“Here wrap this in my hoodie.” 

She did as instructed, jumping as Jaune’s hands were placed on top of hers, 

“You doing okay?”

“Ah yes- I’m fine. Just… A lot happened all at once.”

He moved to put a hand on her shoulder, before pausing, 

“Uh, sorry. Hand is; yeah.” 

The sound of an ambulance approaching caught their attention; Jaune got up to talk to the arriving paramedics, explaining the situation. Pyrrha quickly moved out of the way, holding onto the blonde’s bloody jacket. Jaune wiped his hands on his jeans after talking with the paramedic, making his way back to Pyrrha, 

“Well that was something.” He smiled awkwardly at her, still attempting to wipe his hands off on his pants. 

She handed his jacket back, laughing awkwardly, 

“It was something, yes.” she paused, looking at him with concern, “Do… Do you think she’ll be okay?”

Jaune smiled, patting her shoulder, 

“She’s in good hands. I’m sure she’ll be fine, P.” 

Pyrrha nodded, handing his hoodie back,

“You were amazing, Jaune. I don't think she would have made it without you.” 

He grinned sheepishly, shrugging,

“I was just doing what I was trained to do; but thanks.”

“Hey, you two!” 

They both turned, looking to the voice. It was an officer, standing on the street next to them. His hand was on his holster, staring the two down. Jaune put his hands up, offering a half smile,

“This isn't what it looks like; we were just help-”

“Shut it! You two- you got bitten didn't you!?”

The man quickly pulled his gun on the pair, aiming at Jaune. Pyrrha's eyes widened, grabbing onto his shirt. The officers walkie went off, the static filled voice on the other line,

_‘’'There's been multiple cases in this area; we're shutting it down for quarantine.”_

Distant shots went off, screaming following them. Pyrrha and Jaune both ducked down, looking at the officer. Jaune held his hands out in front of him, keeping himself between the officer and Pyrrha,

“Let's all calm down; no one has to get hurt.” 

“Look, I'm sorry but I've got my orders; we can't let what happened in Boston happen here.” 

Pyrrha glanced to the flag in the nearby corner, before quickly looking back to the officer. People were running in the streets, taking refuge in the nearby shops and restaurants for cover. The man steadied his gun, only to be rammed into by a panicked bystander as he pulled the trigger. Jaune flinched, the bullet narrowly grazing his cheek. Pyrrha reacted immediately, grabbing flag from the ground slamming the end of the pole into the officers chest. A grotesque cracking noise came from the man's chest as his gun fell from his hands, clattering to the ground. 

“PYRRHA STOP!” Jaune grabbed her, pulling her back. 

Pyrrha blinked, stumbling back into Jaune before covering her mouth,

“Oh my god- I-I didn't mean to-”

Jaune grabbed her hand, pulling her behind the wall as more bystanders ran through the streets. Shouting from police mixed with screams and gunfire filled the air. Pyrrha covered her ears, still shaken by what she'd done,

“Oh god Jaune, what's happening?! They're suppose to protect people not gun them down!”

He really didn't have words. If the law enforcement was taking such extreme actions, it must mean the virus that was spreading along the east coast must be in the west. Jaune peeked around the wall, before looking back to Pyrrha,

“Okay P, calm down; we're gonna get out of here okay?”

She nodded, wiping the blood from the graze across his cheek,

“Jaune you're bleeding!” 

“I'm fine, it's nothing.” He gave her a reassuring smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

Jaune glanced around the corner again, taking a deep breath, 

“Okay P, we gotta make it back to the school,” he looked back at her, holding out his hand. 

Pyrrha nodded, getting a tight grip on his hand,

“And P?”

“What is it?” 

“Don't trust anyone.” 


	6. Long Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After news of the recent epidemic, Tai decides the best course of action is to get his girls to a safer location. Though there's still one member of the family that's missing in action.

“Alright girls only pack what you NEED.” Tai yelled to the house, strapping Bumblebee down in the truck bed. He was stressed, to say the least. No word from Raven, not even a call from Qrow; which wasn’t out of character, but still concerning. Qrow had gone up to New York to visit some of their old military acquaintances, but with what was going on, a call would be nice. Ruby came through the door, a suitcase and backpack in hand,

“Hey dad! I packed Zwei's food and stuff, it's on the kitchen table.” She handed off her bags, pointing her thumb back at the house,

“Yang is almost done packing,” she paused for a moment, looking to him with concern, “Have you heard from Uncle Qrow yet?”

“Not yet, kiddo. But your uncle is stubborn, I'm sure he's fine.”

Ruby frowned, offering a slight nod before heading back into the house. Tai shook his head, groaning,

“Damnit Qrow, where the hell are you.”

He frowned, letting out a frustrated sigh. Yang kicked the screen door open, duffle bag and a suitcase of her own in tow,

“Yo Dad! Are we all set?”

“Bumblebee is all strapped down and ready to go.”

She grinned, throwing her luggage in the truck,

“Awesome! I'm so ready for this road trip.”

“Look firecracker, I know you girls think this is all fun and games, but we've gotta be careful. This is a serious epidemic.”

Yang put her hand on her hip, frowning,

“But we'll be fine. No matter what the universe throws at it our family always faces it head on!”

She rested her fist against her hand, smirking. Tai let out a sound of amusement, shoo’ing her away,

“Alright alright, go get your sister and Zwei so we can get on the road.”

“Okay okay! I get it! We'll be out in a sec.”

Yang headed back into the house, the sound of the two bickering coming from the door. Tai rolled his eyes rearranging the haphazardly placed luggage in the back seat. As laid back as he prefered to be, it was hard to relax. The thoughts of what was on television, the absence of his brother in law, and the idea of juggling his two daughters on a road trip to who knows where bounced around in his head. He rested his head against the car door, frowning deeply.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, making him jump. Looking at the caller id, he immediately picked up,

“Qrow! Where the hell have you- Are you alright?”

Ragged breathing came from the other line, the sound of screaming and gunshots in the background. Qrow gruff voice came over the line, uncharacteristically serious,

_“Tai! You and the girls need to get somewhere safe.”_

“Already on it; we're packing up the last of the stuff. You didn't answer- Are you alright, Qrow?”

There was a pause for a moment before Qrow spoke up,

_“Tai, you take care of those girls alright? Keep them safe and tell them even if I don't say it that I love em’.”_

“Qrow what are you talking about? What the hell is going on?”

He rose his voice over the line, shift to a more stern tone,

_“Listen to me Tai! You protect those girls with your life understand? Don't trust anyone- Most importantly don't trust the military or any form of law enforcement, understand?”_

“Qrow if you could just explain-”

_“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!”_

Tai was a bit taken back by the sudden authoritarian tone, brows knitting,

“I understand.”

He heard Qrow let out a huff, the sound of a glass clattering against a table.

“Qrow. What's going on.”

_“Remember what they use to call me back in the day?”_

“Of course, we all had nicknames back then.”

A quiet laugh came from the other line, more clattering bottles coming from the other side,

_“Thirteen; unlucky number huh?”_

“Qrow, for the last time what is happening?”

 _“Bad luck caught up with me, Tai. You keep the girls safe like I said- You use everything we've learned over the years on anyone who threatens your family, I don't give a damn if it's one of our old superiors,”_ there was another pause on the line, causing Tai to tense as he continued, _“Keep them safe; if not for me, for Summer.”_

Before he could respond, the line went dead. He wanted to scream. Resisting the urge to throw his cell across the lawn, he tried to dial Qrow again, only to go right to voicemail.

“Dad?”

Tai turned around, Ruby standing behind him; holding Zwei,

“Is everything okay?”

“...Yeah. Yeah everything is fine, kiddo. You and your sister ready?”

“Yup! She's grabbing Zwei's stuff!”

He put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair,

“Sounds good, hop in the truck with Zwei; I need to grab a few things.”

He headed to the front door, almost bumping into Yang on the way out.

“Dad? I thought you were packed?”

“Just forgot a couple things, I'll meet you in the car.”

Yang raised a skeptical brow before shrugging. He headed to his room, kneeling down next to his bed. He pulled a few large cases from underneath, popping them open for a quick check before shutting them again. Tai took one last look at the room, glancing as the photo on the nightstand. He put the cases down, picking it up.

It was from back in their military days; they all looked so different. Even Tai himself looked overly serious, Qrow and Raven to one side Summer and himself on the other. Summer was the only one smiling, the rest of them with a serious expression. He sighed, pulling the picture from the frame and stuffing it in his pocket. Tai headed back the the truck, throwing the cases in the back.

“Took you long enough!” Yang pulled her feet down from the dash, settling in the passenger seat.

Zwei barked as Ruby pet him, piping up,

“Yeah you told us to not take forever! What's the hold up?”

“Sorry girls; just had to grab a couple things I didn't think I needed.”

His hands tightened on the wheel as he drove. The girls bickering quieted down as the sun began to set. Yang was asleep in the front, Zwei curled up in the back. Tai sighed, tapping his fingers against the wheel as he stared at a never ending wave of break lights.

“Dad?”

“Ruby? You're still awake? Get some sleep, not much going on.”

She leaned up to the front, resting her chin on the back of Yang's seat,

“Is Uncle Qrow really okay?”

Tai glanced to Ruby, frowning,

“Why do you ask? Like I said your Uncle is tough, he can take care of-”

“I heard you talking to him on the phone.”

His brows furrowed as he sighed, sitting up in the seat,

“Look Ruby, your uncle he- I don't know what's going on. He could be completely fine, just being a jacka- being a jerk. Your Uncle is like that sometimes.”

“I guess… I just hope he's okay… he's gonna meet us in Utah, right?”

“I'm sure he is, Rubes. Now get some rest. We've got a long ride ahead of us.”

She frowned, before settling back into her seat. After a few moments, she was asleep like the rest. Tai smiled weakly, looking back to the road,

“Dammit Qrow you better be alright.”


	7. What Makes Us Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oscar reflects on the past month, trying to figure out what really matters the most.

_ “Oscar! Oscar run!”  _

Oscar’s brows knitted together as he fidgeted.

_ “You… You’re not turning like the rest of them.” The man looked at him as he finished tucking his scarf around Oscar, “You are a very, very important young man.” _

He held his head, grimacing. He hated this dream, but it just played over and over and over every time he tried to get any sleep!

_ “Oscar… You must get to Beacon. It’s safe there… They’ll take care of you… He can help…”  _

_ Ozpin smiled at him, pressing a crumpled map into the boys hand. He was ghostly pale, blood streaming from the wound on his stomach,  _

_ “It’s alright, don’t be afraid.” _

Oscar jolted awake, gasping,

“Ozpin!” 

The boy panted, hand clutching his chest. His arms wrapped around himself as he shook, trying to get a hold of himself. He wanted to think it wasn’t real, that his aunt was still at home, yelling at him to clean his room, cooking them dinner. That Ozpin was just a nice man he’d met on the street; someone that he’d wave at him on his way to school and occasionally give him some silly life advice he’d never be smart enough to use. Oscar pulled the green scarf from around his neck, looking down at it. 

But that wasn’t the case. This whole month was a nightmare, but he couldn’t wake up. Everything he knew or even came to know was gone. It was easier for him to just be alone; at least this way he knew he would never weigh someone down. Rubbing his eyes, he peeled back the ratty fabric he’d covered the window with prior. 

It was still dark out; probably four or five in the morning if he could guess. He grabbed the small camp lantern, next to his sleeping bag, flicking it on. He began rifling through his backpack, trying to mentally list off how much food he had left. Letting out a yawn, he rubbed his eyes again, squinting. 

Ever since this had began, he really hadn’t had a decent night's sleep. Either being too paranoid to fall asleep, or being assaulted with nightmares when he did. Blinking tiredly, Oscar settled on a half empty packet of jerky for his meal. He unfolded his map, doing his best to avoid the dried blood stains across the edges. ‘Beacon’ was states away… How he was going to get there, he didn’t know. 

He wished Ozpin were still here- he’d have the answers. Oscar rubbed his ankle, scratching a bit at the bandages there. He hated having his ankle wrapped up all the time, but it was for the best. Going back to sleep was pointless, and quite frankly, he didn’t want to. 

Pulling his blanket around his shoulders, he settled back against the wall as he opened Oz’s journal, brows furrowing. While some of the information was unrelated, a decent amount of it had been about the past events of the month. 

_ “What are you writing?”  _

_ Ozpin pushed up his glasses, smiling,  _

_ “Nothing you need to worry yourself about. Just documenting events is all.”  _

Ozpin really never talked to him about his research or documenting. He could only assume the older man didn’t want him to worry more than he had to. Everytime Oscar tried to ask about what he was doing, how bad things would get, what was happening to people, but it was always the same answer:

_ “Don’t worry about that, Oscar. Everything will be alright.”  _

Oscar sighed, slumping down, 

“Everything will be alright, huh?” 

He continued to flip through the journal, doing his best to skip over any unrelated research. A photo fell out from between the pages, causing him to fumble with the book. The last thing he wanted to do was rip or ruin it. He picked up the photo, cocking his head as he looked at it. 

It was a group photo, maybe from what he could only guess was from Ozpin’s college days. Oscar was able to pick out Oz in a heartbeat, his white hair giving him away. He was standing next to another brunet man, who had his arms wrapped around a blonde woman. There were a couple of other people in the image, but none that he seemed to be as close with. 

Flipping to the page the photo fell from, he felt his stomach drop. Other photos were taped to the pages; close ups of bite marks and lists of symptoms following infection. Scientific explanations leading to crossed out solutions and question marks drawn out of frustration. Was this why he never showed him? Why he told him not to think about it? 

“You really… Had no idea what to do… did you?” Oscar mumbled to himself, putting the book down. 

Ozpin was dealing with the fact that there were no answers. That Oscar may had been the only hope of figuring out how to stop this chaos. Even through all that, he still put on a happy face. He always told Oscar it was going to be okay, and that he’d keep him safe. It wasn’t just him either. 

Whenever they ran into someone struggling, he’d always to his best to help. Whether it was giving out rations or something as simple as giving someone a coat or a pair of gloves, Ozpin was always willing to give. Oscar remembered when he first started traveling with Oz, how skeptical he was.

_ “Mr-” _

_ He cut Oscar off, waving his hand, _

_ “Please Oscar, just Ozpin is fine. No need to be so formal.” _

_ “R-right… Ozpin…” Oscar paused, looking down at his feet, “Are you…Are you only helping me because I’m… different?”  _

_ Ozpin stopped, turning to look at him. He jumped, his hands tightening on the straps of his backpack. The other sighed as he took a seat on a nearby traffic divider. He patted next to him, resting a foot on his knee, _

_ “Come here, Oscar.”  _

_ Oscar shifted a bit before taking a seat next to Oz, glancing at him sheepishly. Ozpin laced his fingers together, brows furrowing,  _

_ “Yes, it is true that you are special. You’re very important to how this epidemic may end,” He paused, looking back at the boy, “But please don’t for one second think I wouldn’t have helped you if you were any other individual.”  _

_ Ozpin patted him on the head, smiling,  _

_ “Helping others who are in need is the most important thing you can do at a time like this. It makes us remember that were still human.”  _

Oscar teared up a bit, shaking his head. He remembered screaming for help; for someone, anyone. Looking down at his aunt, crying for her to hang in there, to not turn into one of those… things. When she started yelling at him to get away from her, to run-

His hand darted to his ankle, a sharp phantom pain making its way across the mostly healed wound. That was his queue to stop thinking about the past. He got up, making his way back over to the window. The sun was just barely beginning to peek out over the city. Good enough for him to get a move on. He had a busy day ahead of him, as it was everyday; plus he really needed to start planning his trip to whatever this ‘Beacon’ place was. 

Oscar began packing up his things, nibbling on the remains of his jerky every once in a while. He shouldered his backpack, letting out a disgruntled noise at the weight. Grabbing his baseball bat, he lazily swung it back and forth, sighing. He was good at avoiding trouble, but it was nice to have something; even though he didn’t think he’d ever have the guts or strength to kill something. 

He awkwardly fumbled with his revolver, nervously tucking it away in his hoodie. Ozpin had given it to him before… Oscar shook his head, making his way out the fire escape. He pulled his hood up, his sneakers squeaking as he made his way down the steps. Jumping down into the alleyway, he made his way to the street. Peeking around the wall, he sucked in a breath; the streets were mostly quiet. A few stragglers here and there, but besides that, quiet. 

While it made him feel a bit more at ease, he knew better than to get comfortable. If he’d learnt anything in this past month, it would be to always keep his eyes and ears open. Well, that and horror movies. He ducked down, making his way across the street as quickly as possible. Hopefully some of the nearby markets hadn’t been completely wiped clean just yet. 

Oscar picked up a few stones while he snuck from storefront to storefront, knowing that they’d come in handy later. They made great distractions, and were easy as hell to find. He didn’t find much in his search, but something was better than nothing. A couple dented up cans of chili that had been buried under a topled shelf, some batteries, and surprisingly a bottle of pain pills. He groaned, cocking his head to the side. Carrying around his backpack everywhere he went was a pain. 

He wasn’t the strongest person physically, but he didn’t think he’d be beaten by a backpack. Oscar pulled himself onto a divider, deciding to take a rest. He pulled the map from his hoodie, deciding to take the time to look things over. He’d done plenty of hiking and even hunting on the farm, but he never thought he’d be making a trip this insane. Grumbling, he tucked his head into the map, silently asking if anyone was out there to give him a sign to do something. 

“Hey you! Kid!”

Oscar jumped, closing the map as he began to look around. There was a small group of people approaching him. He slid off the divider, taking a step back. 

‘Okay Oscar- Don’t let them intimidate you. You’ve got this-’

“W-What do you want?” His voice audibly cracked, words catching in his throat.

Nice. 

The man in front of the group laughed, his hand resting on his rifle, 

“Easy now, kid. Just hand over your shit and we’ll let y’go- Eh?” He smirked, looking back at his group. 

They laughed a bit, all nodding in agreement. Oscar took another step back, a frown on his face,

“And why w-would I do that?” He cursed to himself quietly, despising his nervous side. 

The man shook his head, rolling his eyes,

“Look kiddo, just make this easy, huh? We already chased down one brat today, for nothin’ I might add. Little shit could run like a rat though.” He jeered, earning more laughs from his group. 

Oscar took a deep breath assessing his options. He could hand over his stuff- but he might as well be throwing himself to the wolves at that point. He could run, but if he got caught it might be the end of the line. No no- He had to make it to Beacon. He had to. 

Taking a few more steps back, he turned on his heel, breaking into a full sprint down the street. He could hear the group shouting at him, heavy foot falls behind him. Pulling a stone from his pocket, he turned sharply around a corner, flicking the stone into a nearby car window. The alarm shrieked, the sound of alerted infected roaring behind him. 

“You little shit!” He heard the man snap in the distance, the sound of gunshots following. 

Oscar grinned, pulling his hood back on as he ran. With a huff, he vaulted over a fence, deciding to hide out in the nearby construction site until everything blew over. He glanced back behind him, out of breath,

“Guess not everyone is looking to help, huh Oz?” 

Looking around the site, it was pretty barren. Luckily it didn’t seem like any infected had gotten in, though unfortunately there wasn’t much in terms of cover. He settled on a large concrete tube that was on the far side of the site; he wouldn’t be staying there long anyways. His sneakers crunched against the gravel that had been scattered about the area, making his movements much more telegraphed than he’d like. 

As he approached the tube, he stopped, swearing he heard something. He tightened his grip on his bat, gulping. Well, in hindsight he did probably draw every infected in the general area pretty close. He wasn’t ready to kill something. Even if they didn’t act human anymore, they were still people- right? 

Oscar took a deep breath, lifting his bat over his shoulder he stepped in front of the opening of the tube, brows furrowed. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him; that he didn’t hear anything. Or this would be it- that he’d have to finally cross that line. He’d have to end a life, feral or not, it was still a living, breathing person. What he wasn’t expecting was a pair of bright blue, fearful eyes staring back at him. 

He almost let out a startled scream in response, but he managed to control himself. The other boy had his hands covering his mouth, his body trembling. He looked terrified and frail, his short white hair was dirty and ruffled. Oscar lowered his bat, trying to think of what to do. He could just… Leave? Traveling with someone increased risks, you needed more food, more water, more… everything. 

_ “Helping others who are in need is the most important thing you can do at a time like this. It makes us remember that were still human.”  _

Oscar sighed, running a hand over his face. He couldn’t do it. Looking sheepishly at the other, he bit his lip, taking a step forward,

“H-hey. Are you okay?” 

The other didn’t respond, keeping himself tucked on the farside of the tube. He grimaced, crouching down, 

“Are you hurt? I… I’m here to help. It’s okay.” 

Upon closer inspection, Oscar could tell the other was in alot worse shape than he originally thought. He could see bruises all over his arms, a relatively large one across his cheek. His once lightly colored dress shirt and pants were covered in dirt and grime, almost looking as if it was coming apart at the seams. 

“Did those guys get you?”

The other flinched visibly, nervously glancing at Oscar. There was a slight nod in response. That was good, he was getting somewhere. He gulped, offering a slight smile, 

“They came after me too, but I think they’re gonna be busy for a little while.” 

Oscar sat himself on the edge of the tube, holding out his hand, 

“Let’s get out of here, yeah? Get you fixed up?” 

The boy looked at him skeptically, mulling over the offer. He hesitantly reached for Oscar’s hand, flinching away as he touched his palm. After a long amount of coaxing and talking him into trusting him, Oscar finally got him out. Now that he was in the light, he was a lot skinnier than expected. He was extremely pale, but unlike porcelain, he looked ghostly. His pale complexion heavily contrasted the bruises all over his skin, making him look even worse. It wasn’t particularly cold out, but the other was shaking like a leaf. Oscar could only guess that he probably had some kind of fever- or maybe he was just in shock. He opened up his backpack, pulling out a grey hoodie. 

“Here, you can wear this.”

Once he got a slight nod, Oscar helped him into his hoodie. 

“What’s your name?” He asked, not sure if the other would even speak to him. 

“W-...Whitley…” 

He nodded, picking up his bat,

“I’m Oscar. Let’s get somewhere safe and we’ll get you something to eat- Sound good?”

He saw Whitley perk up at the mention of food, giving another quick nod in response. Oscar offered his hand to him, giving an awkward smile. It took a moment for the other to make a move, but eventually thin fingers wrapped around his own. While he didn’t want to think about how hard the future would be, it did feel nice to not be alone anymore. 

  
  
  
  



	8. Along, Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being saved by Oscar, Whitley can't help but let his mind wander; how did he end up in this mess?

Whitley winced as Oscar wiped off a small cut on his calf, his eyes squeezing shut. He heard the other give a quiet apology as a large patch bandage was pressed over the wound. What was left of his suit had now been traded in for a pair of brown joggers and tank top; both of which were practically falling off of him. He still had the oversized hoodie Oscar had originally given him, but it had been put to the side while the brunette wiped off his wounds. 

How he’d survived this long, he didn’t know. It felt like his world had been turned completely upside down. One day, he was in their families company building, enjoying the fearful gazes he received from the employees; the next he was curled up in an alley, wondering where his father was, where anyone was. He’d stooped lower than a Schnee would ever go in this past month. 

Scavenging for scraps, begging, hiding in… unsavory places. It seemed like every place he went was just worse than the last. He kept waiting for someone to find him. His father, Klein, mother, even one of his sisters. Just someone to pull him out of the hell he was in. He wanted to act strong, act like his father; he just couldn’t. 

On top of that, it didn’t take Whitley long to realize that his name would just bring more harm than good. Anyone who recognized his face would treat him like absolute shit. Shoving him aside, ignoring his demands, his pleads for help. If he hadn’t met Oscar, he didn’t know how much longer he would have lasted after the beating he took prior. He let out a small yelp as the other dabbed more peroxide on a different scrape, weakly glaring at the brunette.

“Sorry sorry. I really only clean up my own cuts so I guess I’m not the best at being gentle.” He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his neck. 

Whitley didn’t say anything, opting to just look away. He just wanted to go home. After Oscar was done, he pulled his knees against his chest, resting his chin against them. He started to wonder over the time he’d been on his own if he’d done something wrong. His father wouldn’t just leave him, would he? He’d try to look for him right? 

Oscar glanced back at Whitley, frowning. He could tell something was bothering the other, but it really wasn’t his place to ask. Pulling one of the cans he’d found earlier from his bag and a spoon, he popped the lid, offering it to Whitley. 

The overly processed, salty smell immediately got the others attention, his stomach growling in response. It was quickly taken from him, Whitley practically burying his face in the can. It was something he never in his life time thought he’d touch; something so cheap and disgusting. Though right now, it was like the best thing he’d ever tasted. He practically choked with how fast he was eating. 

“Slow down, it’s not gonna run away from you.” 

Whitley’s face flushed in embarrassment, slowly lowering the can from his mouth. Table manners were pretty much out the window, but he should have had more restraint than that. It wasn’t what you’d call a very becoming look. Oscar put his hands up, giving another awkward smile, 

“It- It’s fine! Just- don’t want you to choke on it is all.” 

“Why did you help me.” 

While Oscar had given him food and water, his voice still hadn’t recovered very much. He still sounded much more small and weak than he would have liked. The other blinked, scratching the back of his head, 

“Well… Someone told me once that helping people is one of the best things you can do… That it reminds us we’re all still human.” He smiled sadly, fiddling with his scarf. 

Whitley looked down at his feet, nodding wordlessly. That… Was the opposite of what he was taught his whole life. He was taught to take what he needed, whether or not he had to step on someone else to get there, that wasn’t his problem. The current state of the city was an exact definition of that; only he wasn’t on top anymore. Your name, your status- it didn’t mean anything. 

Oscar stood up, beginning to shake out his sleeping bag. It was getting late anyways, and he guessed Whitley had gotten even less sleep then he had. 

“I was thinking I could just open it up and we can just use blankets. It’s not too cold yet so we should be okay.” 

Whitley pulled the hoodie over his head, his hair being ruffled even more as he slipped into it. As soon as he saw the makeshift sleeping arrangement, exhaustion washed over his body. He never realized just how tired he was until now. Oscar shook out some blankets, motioning him over to the sleeping bag, 

“You can get some sleep- I just wanna make sure everything is locked up around here. Can’t ever be too safe, y’know?” 

Whitley blinked slowly, already starting to nod off sitting up. Making his way over to the bed, he nestled into the lumpy pillow, knocking out almost immediately. Oscar made sure the windows were completely covered, double checking the barricaded doors. Never could be too safe. He sat down on his side of the sleeping bag, rubbing his eyes. 

Oscar glanced at Whitley, smiling. He looked like he’d calmed down quite a bit since they’d settled down for the day. Leaning back into his pillow, he stared up at the ceiling, brows furrowed. Hopefully sleep would come to him; and for once, stay that way. 

It took Oscar about an hour or so to fall asleep, but it was probably the deepest sleep he’d gotten in a while. Whitley on the other hand had started tossing and turning, his face buried in the pillow. 

_ Whitley and his father were ushered out of the building, some employee’s scrambling to leave, others on their phones, looking at the news.  _

_ “Father- Father what’s going on?” He was doing his best to keep his composure, but he wasn’t doing a very good job.  _

_ “Not now, Whitley.” Jaques grumbled, frowning.  _

_ Looking down at his feet, he shrunk back a bit. His lips drew into a thin line as they quickly made their way out of the building, only to be met with the chaos of outside. It didn’t take long for him to be shoved around, the masses of panicked people flooding the sidewalks.  _

_ “Ugh! You idiots!” Whitley snapped, being pushed into other random pedestrians.  _

_ Finally regaining his footing, he pushed his bangs out of his face, frowning. Looking around, he blinked; he was alone.  _

_ “Father?”  _

_ He couldn’t see. Whitley wasn’t exactly someone you’d call tall, so he was easily swept away by the crowds of people. Panic slowly began to sink in, the boy pushing through the stampede of panicked pedestrians, _

_ “Dad? Dad!”  _

_ He was alone- He was all alone. His father wouldn’t leave him here; he couldn’t leave him here.  _

Whitley rolled into Oscar’s side, body trembling. He didn’t want to be alone. Oscar shifted as he rolled over, a slight snore escaping him. Whitley flinched before relaxing, quietly shifting closer to the brunette. A month of sleeping in alleys and curling up in abandoned construction sites, just being next to someone was comforting. The two managed to sleep through the night, both of them managing to get some well deserved rest. 

* * *

Oscar stretched, his eyes cracking open. It had been a while since he’d slept so long- Well at least it felt like he slept through the night. Rolling his head to the side, he blinked, seeing Whitley curled up next to him. 

Oh right; he wasn’t alone. He raised a brow, awkwardly nudging him,

“Hey- Hey wake up.” 

Whitley jumped, jolting away from him. Oscar put his hands up, leaning back,

“Whoa, um, sorry.” 

He looked startled, wordlessly rubbing his arms. His face flushed a bit as he looked down, stomach growling. Oscar stifled a laugh, reaching for his backpack, 

“Hungry?” 

“I-...Yes…” He mumbled, frowning. 

He tossed Whitley a package of jerky, pulling one out for himself,

“It’s not much but it’s something.” 

Whitley nodded, pulling out a piece to nibble on. Oscar kept glancing between him and his own meal, a perplexed look on his face. He could tell he wanted to say something, but he was hesitating. 

“Whatever it is, just say it.” 

Oscar blinked, rubbing his neck, 

“I...Uh…” He paused, scratching his head, “Look- I know we just met and everything but… I’m not planning on staying in New York much longer.” 

Whitley went rigid, wordlessly looking down. He was going to leave- he was going to be left behind again. Oscar bit his lip. Well now he felt bad. Whitley looked like he practically deflated. 

“U-um. Well- You’re a Schnee right? I-... I can take you to the edge of the quarantine zone; the military should be able to get you back to your family.” He rambled off, trying to make him feel a bit better. 

The others lip quivered a bit, before he snapped at Oscar, 

“You don’t think I’ve tried!?” 

He was a bit taken aback by the outburst, eyes widening. Whitley’s eyes watered, his meal left forgotten on the ground next to him, 

“If they wanted me back I would have been home right now!” He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, tears spilling over, “I did something wrong- and now I’m stuck here!” 

Oscar opened his mouth, not sure what to say. Did something wrong? He wasn’t following, but if the military wasn’t even willing to help a Schnee… And with what happened to Ozpin… 

“Do- Do you want to come with me?” 

Whitley sniffled, brows furrowing,

“What?” 

Oscar smiled awkwardly, scratching his head; he didn’t mean to blurt that out. The whole concept of it was crazy. Two kids traveling across the country to some place that seems too good to be true. Whitley stared at him for a moment, mulling over what Oscar had said. 

“Well I-... I know it sounds kinda nuts but I’m planning on heading across country,” He didn’t want to tell Whitley everything yet, but telling him a bit wouldn’t hurt, “There’s a place; it’s called Beacon. According to the map, it’s up in Wyoming.” 

Ozpin hadn’t told him much more besides where it was and that it was safe, but the man had never done him wrong, and even put his life on the line for him. If it was safe for him, then it would be safe for Whitley too, right? The doubt on the others face was obvious- and he didn’t blame him. 

“Look, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I get that you would want to stay in New York,” Well there he was, rambling off again, “And it would be really dangerous, and I know some survival stuff but I’m not-” 

“If you're trying to be convincing, you're doing rather poorly.” 

Oscar jumped, his jumble of words skidding to a stop. At first, he thought Whitley was just making fun of him, but a quick glance showed that was maybe only half true. His eyes were still puffy and red from crying, but he had a small smile of amusement on his face. 

“I-... Well I’m not very good at speaking either.” 

“I can tell, though it isn’t surprising.” Whitley teased, crossing his arms. 

While he seemed to have calmed down for the most part, Oscar knew there was a lot going through his head. He’d be leaving behind everything he ever knew- though it did seem like that was already happening. 

“I… I’ll go with you.” 

Oscar’s eyes widened, mouth slightly agape, 

“Wait, really?!” 

That came out a bit louder than he had wanted it to, but he really couldn’t believe it. Someone he just met, a -Schnee- for that matter, was going to be his traveling partner. Was this really happening? 

“It’s not like I have a better option,” he pulled his knees to his chest, frowning, “I’d rather get somewhere safe rather than dying on the street like a rat.” 

Looking down, he mumbled quietly, to himself, 

“And I’m clearly not going home.” 

Oscar frowned, not sure how to take that. He offered a hand, forcing a smile, 

“Well, were partners now, right?”

Whitley stared at the others hand for a moment, lifting his hand, but hesitating. This was it. Going with Oscar meant he was probably never going home. He would likely never see his family again. His shoulders tensed as he took Oscar’s hand, fingers twitching against the others rough grip. 

It wasn’t like they’d miss him anyways. 

  
  



	9. Nightfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months into the epidemic, Adam and Sun are still struggling to get along. After realizing their lack of supplies, they decide it's about time for another restock search. Unfortunately, time isn't on their side.

Sun shifted on the couch as he rolled over, oh so gracefully landing on Scarlet. A string of cursing came from the angry redhead under him,

“You bloody idiot; get off of me!” 

Sage stirred next to Scarlet, before pulling a pillow over his head,

“You two shut the hell up…” he groaned, turning his back the two. 

Neptune threw a pillow at the two, grumbling from the recliner. Sun frowned as he pulled himself back onto the couch,

“Sorry sorry, geeze,” he rubbed his eyes, getting up and heading to the fire escape. Adam was sat on the edge of the platform, legs dangling off the side. His shotgun was propped against his shoulder, cigarette in his mouth. 

“I said I'd keep watch tonight; sleep.”

“You go get some sleep, I can take watch.” The blonde nonchalantly leaned on the banister, cocking his head to the side. 

Adam eyed him, frowning. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, offering it to the other,

“It helps with the nerves.” 

Sun looked at it for a moment before taking it, holding it out for him to light. He took a deep inhale, letting out a large plume of smoke. The redhead chuckled, tapping the ashes off his own,

“You're no rookie are you?” 

“It's a bad habit I dropped in high school. Nep kept going on about me dying of lung cancer.” He chuckled, rubbing his temple. 

“So, how you holdin’ up?”

Sun glanced down at Adam, before looking back out at the city,

“How long have we been in this?” 

He let out a puff of smoke, shifting his gun to his other shoulder,

“Four… five months now?” Adam wrinkled his nose, “We're running low on food, gotta make a run when dawn hits.”

“We can do it. You and Blake went out last time, plus you've been on watch all night.”

He quirked a brow, snuffing out his cigarette, 

“I'll go with.”

“I told you we go-”

“I said, I’m going.” He muttered, flicking his cigarette butt off the fire escape.

“Look would it kill you to trust us for once? I get it you don’t like us but-”

Adam glanced to Sun, eyes narrowed,

“None of you have the balls to pull the trigger if you have to,” he stood up, slinging the gun strap over his shoulder, “I'm going to sleep for a couple hours. We'll leave after the sun rises.” 

Sun frowned, muttering to himself,

“Fuckin’ prick…” 

He looked out at the city, deciding to finish the cigarette Adam had given him. His stomach churned as he rolled the pendant of his necklace across his knuckles. Glancing to the building across the street, a black cat was perched on a windowsill, staring at him. It sent a chill down his spine. Neptune had said that it was superstitious nonsense, Sage said it was always coincidence, Scarlet thought that it was just plain stupid. 

Sun's stomach churned again as he snuffed out his cigarette, slumping down under the window. 

Maybe he was just the fool who believed in bad luck.

* * *

“Are you sure you don't want me to go?” 

Sun waved his hand, leaning on his bat, 

“We'll be fine, Blake. We've got Sir Smartass with us.”

“I heard that.” Adam called from the fire escape.

“You were supposed to.” He chimed back. 

Blake frowned, giving him a concerned look, 

“I know there's five of you, but still. Another person to watch your back never hurts.”

“Yeah, and having someone watch this place doesn't hurt either. People are desperate Blake, we can't risk losing our place here.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a reassuring smile, 

“We got this, Blake.” 

She sighed, nodding her head. Sun slipped onto the fire escape, offering a small wave as Blake pulled the window shut. Scarlet impatiently waited on the street with the rest of the group, watching as Sun descend the steps,

“C'mon! We don't got all day, Wukong!”

Sun jumped off the fire escape, giving Scarlet the finger on the way down. Neptune chuckled a bit, followed by a joint eye roll from Adam and Sage. The blonde grinned at Neptune, bouncing his eyebrows. Taking point with Adam, Sun lazily bounced his bat on his shoulder.

Scarlet glanced at the tall male, leaning in, 

_"So- when are you gonna tell 'im?"_

Neptune punched the redhead's shoulder, face flushing at the playful eyebrow wiggle cast in his direction.

_"Now isn't the time, Scar."_

_"Then when is the bloody time!? You've been tiptoeing around 'im for years!"_

Neptune let out an exasperated noise, 

_"When we aren't fighting for our lives, Scar! Would you piss off!"_

Sage slowed his pace, leaning into the conversation,

_"So is he going to tell him or…?"_

Neptune immediately looked at the redhead with betrayal in his eyes; maybe just a bit of anger,

_"WHY DOES HE KNOW!?"_

Sage blinked slowly raising a brow,

_"Wait was this supposed to be a secret-"_

"Can you all shut the fuck up?" 

They all looked to the disgruntled redhead in front of them, frowning. Sun smirked, shrugging his shoulders,

"You heard Major Killjoy guys; cease fun."

Adam rolled his eyes, resting his hand on his sword, 

"Can we please fucking focus? We have to be back before dark, you idiots all know that." 

Sage sighed, lacing his fingers behind his head, 

"He's right. We should get moving- speaking of where are we heading?" 

The blonde, turned on his heel, leaning against a lamp post, 

"Downtown; now before you guys say anything- wanna break it down, sunshine?" He looked to Adam, grinning.

Adam frowned deeply, rolling his eyes,

"Everything around this area has been picked over. We have a better chance of finding supplies downtown, but-"

Neptune's brows furrowed, murmuring, 

"We have a higher chance of getting caught." 

The redhead pointed at the tall male, shrugging,

"Exactly." 

Scarlet grumbled, crossing his arms, 

"So we're literally going into uncharted territory? This sounds like a shit show waiting to happen." 

Sun sighed, rubbing his neck,

"Look guys- I know it's not a good idea, and I know it's dangerous, but it's the only shot we have," he frowned, leaning on his bat, "We wouldn't be taking this chance if we had a choice." 

Sage nodded, putting a hand on Scarlet's shoulder, 

"They're right. We're not the only people trying to stay alive." 

Neptune stuffed his hands in his pockets, shoulders stiffening,

"Great, no pressure." 

Sun sighed, glancing over the group. He was just as against the idea as they were, but they didn't have a choice. Adam was right; less survivors would be downtown, but that meant there was a whole lot more of what they were trying to avoid. They'd done a damn good job avoiding any conflict so far. He knew Adam didn't have a problem with cracking a couple skulls when need be. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't killed anything since…

He jumped at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder, glancing at Neptune. Had he really zoned out that much? Sun offered a smile, shrugging his shoulders. The male raised an eyebrow at the blonde, mouthing a silent _'You okay?',_ only to be met by a wave of his hand. 

He needed to stay calm. The rest of his friends always looked to him for a decision. Whether it was getting into trouble, or for some kind of guidance, he had a role to uphold. 

_'Keep it together, keep it together.'_

Sun let out a breath, keeping his happy face on. This was fine. He was fine; he always was. Adam was giving them a disgruntled look, shotgun rested on his shoulder, 

"Can we get a fucking move on?" He muttered, making his way down the road. 

How Blake got along with Adam, he'd never understand. She was quiet and kind; he was… 

"Fucking piece of…" 

The blonde watched Adam kick a can out of his way, quiet cursing and grumbling leaving him. An asshole to be exact, but he was a damn good tattoo artist. Not like that mattered regardless; they were all in this together now. He looked up at the sky, looking at the gathering clouds above. Winter was well on its way, which was another issue in itself. 

Sun let out a sigh, his grip on his bat tightening; take it day by day. 

* * *

_"Ow! Move over!"_

_"Shit! Shit!"_

_"Shut the fuck up already!"_

_"Quiet."_

They all stopped at the sound of Sun's unusually monotone voice, the three exchanged glances. Adam was up against the wall, wiping the spoiled blood off his sword. 

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Scarlet huffed, sitting down on the floor. 

Neptune was sitting against the opposite wall, his forehead rested against his knees. Sun rested his hand on the others shoulder, frowning,

"Hey, it's alright buddy, we're gonna be fine." 

Adam let out a noise, glancing out the store window,

"I wouldn't be so sure." 

The blonde's eye twitched, feeling Neptune tense next to him,

"Could you not be a piece of shit for one second?" 

Adam sneered, turning around,

"Look- I'm not going to play shit off like it's all going to be great, got it? We fucked up and we've been stuck here for too long; night is coming. We're on borrowed time." 

He walked up to Sun, shoving him a bit, 

"So stop playing Mister fucking Positive." 

Sun grit his teeth, grabbing the front of Adam's shirt,

"Why you-"

Sage pulled the two apart, frowning, 

"Enough you two, we don't need this right now." 

Scarlet groaned, running his fingers through his hair, 

"I agree; we don't need you two doing this alpha male bullshit." 

Sage subtly motioned towards Neptune, glancing at Sun. The blonde huffed, brows furrowing. Sitting down next to the other male, he rested his hand on his neck, sighing,

_"You okay?"_

Neptune shook his head loosely, not looking up from his knees. This wasn't supposed to happen, none of this was supposed to happen. His grip tightened on his legs, eyes squeezed shut. 

Adam rolled his eyes, moving back to the window. The only reason any of those idiots were alive was because of Sun, and honestly it was pathetic. Sage seemed the least idiotic out of the three, and even he made questionable choices. Sun, as carefree and lax as he acted, the redhead knew better. He originally wrote him off as the 'goofball troublemaker', but in reality was quite smart. 

The blonde unfortunately suffered from a hero complex, and Adam knew it would catch up with him. Letting out a grunt, he looked back at the group, frowning,

"We need to move; **now.** "

"Can you fuck off?" Sun snapped, his hand resting on Neptune's neck. 

"No, I can't. If you want to sit here and die, be my guest; but I'm not going to," he sheathed his sword, hand resting on the hilt, "Maybe you should think about future problems rather than current ones." 

Sage rubbed his temple, letting out a sigh,

"He's right, Sun. We don't have time to get a hold of ourselves." 

Scarlet let out a disgruntled noise, patting Neptune on the shoulder, 

"Come on man, hold it together. We're gonna be okay, alright?" 

Sun nodded, pulling the other off the ground, 

"They're right; I'm sorry buddy, " he looked disgruntled, but gave the others shoulder a squeeze, "We're gonna get through this. Deep breaths, remember?" 

Neptune offered a small nod, inhaling deeply through his nose. His voice cracked a bit as he spoke, brows furrowing,

"I-I'm fine. I'll be fine, let's go." 

Sun flipped his bat in his hand, looking to Adam. The five slipped out the back, Adam taking point. He was quick to take the unsuspecting creatures head off, grabbing the limp body before it could cause any noise. Looking over his shoulder, he glared at the other four,

"I don't want any hesitating, got it? I'm not here to babysit you." Adam murmured, turning his attention back to the task at hand. 

Sun nodded, willing his anxiety away. He had to be a leader. This wasn't the time for him to lose his edge. 

They followed closely behind Adam, the group attempting to stay as quiet as possible. Neptune glanced ahead, instinctively taking a step back into Scarlet at the first sight of an infected, earning him a shove. 

_“Ow!”_

_“Then don’t back into me!”_

Sun resisted the urge to facepalm, watching his friends quietly argue in front of him. He glanced around the area, shifting his bat in his hands. His whole body felt on edge, the hairs on his neck standing up. 

**_“It...hurts…”_ **

Sun jumped, turning on his heel with his bat in front of him. The voice was small and broken, a weak, grotesque sob escaping it. It was a child, or what was left of one. The blonde grimaced, raising his bat above his head. Just make it quick; it would be over in a second-

**_“I’m… scared…”_ **

He couldn’t do it. Sun hesitated, feeling as though he’d been frozen in place. Adam turned, eyes widening, 

“You fucking idiot! Kill i-” 

The small child let out a wail, bringing the five practically to their knees. Sage was the first to come to his senses, grabbing a nearby pipe before driving it into the child's skull. Adam grabbed Sun by the shirt, slamming him up against the wall, 

“I take it back, you are a complete fucking idiot!” 

Sun was still holding his head, wincing as he was shoved against the wall. Neptune rubbed his temples, before lurching forward and grabbing the others arm, 

“Weren't you the one who said we didn’t have time for this!? Get off of him!”

Adam let go of Sun, turning to snarl at Neptune, 

“Do you have ANY fucking clue what he just did, silverspoon? Pick your fucking god because you’re going to meet them soon.”

Sage grabbed Sun by the shoulder, waving his hand in front of the others face, 

“C’mon man… You- We gotta get it together.”

Sun blinked a bit, looking back at Sage before glancing back to the others, 

“I-”

Adam shook his head, looking furious, 

“Shut it. There’s no point in being stealthy now,” he looked at the four, growling, “They’re not human anymore. The most you can do is put them out of their misery; so do it.” 

Sage nodded, keeping hold of the pipe from earlier. He did his best to ignore the blood dripping off of it. Scarlet was looking about as shaken as Neptune, hands shaking too much to even think to hold any kind of weapon. 

“Just run with us, alright? Stay close.” Sage hummed, looking at the startled two. 

They both took a moment, glancing at each other before nodding. Neptune sheepishly looked to Sun, who still seemed a bit out of it. He wanted to say something; anything to try and make the other feel less at fault, less guilty. Looking down at the alleyway floor, his brows furrowed. He’d talk to him about it once they got back… Now just wasn’t the time. 

The sound of approaching infected was hard to ignore, distressed voices mixed with feral growls. Adam sheathed his sword, pulling his shotgun from his back,

“Head for the church, we can get easier access to the roof tops from there.”

Scarlet tensed, looking at the other, 

“Whatta’ ‘bout everyone who’s died inside? Don’t tell me that y’don’t think people tried to pray their infection away?”

Sun finally came to, chiming in, 

“It’ll be easier to deal with the couple inside rather than everything coming at us.”

Sage and Neptune nodded in agreement. Neptune frowned, glancing at Adam, 

“We-We’ll follow your lead.” 

Adam cocked his gun, looking ahead, 

“On three, we go.” He rested the butt against his shoulder, taking a deep breath as an infected rounded the corner, grotesque snarls and growls coming from it, “One...Two…”

Sun wasn’t sure which he’d heard first; Adam hitting three, or the deafening sound of the gunshot he’d just produced. His ears rang as he sprinted forward, making sure Neptune and Scarlet stayed in front of him. He wouldn’t fuck this up again, it wasn’t just him that was in trouble. 

Adam had taken care of a majority of the infected that had gotten close, though they seemed endless. Sun finally managed to get himself together, putting down any thing that got too close. He couldn’t think about the bodies dropping around him, he didn’t even feel the blood dripping down his face. 

As soon as they’d made it up the steps, Sage and Adam both slammed their heels into the door. There was a sharp sound of the lock breaking as the door buckled open, the group scrambling inside. They each grabbed part of the doors, slamming it shut as quickly as they could. 

Sage held the handles while Sun and Adam kept their backs pushed up against the doors, the rickety wood letting out creaks of protest. Scarlet hushed Neptune, trying to keep the other from breaking down,

“Nep, mate, y’ gotta calm down. Look we’re gonna be okay, just breath.” 

Neptune practically gagged, the smell from the horde behind the door creeping into the room. He shook his head, his hands on his neck, 

“우린 죽을거야-세상에 죽을거야!*” He rattled off to himself, leaning into Scarlet while he panicked.

Sun felt his heels slide as a grimace crept onto his face. His legs shook from exhaustion, but he knew he couldn’t give in just yet. Everyone needed him, he couldn’t just let them down. The door jarred again, earning a grunt from Adam, 

“Well. We’re really fucked now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *We're gonna die- Oh god we're gonna die!


	10. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hardest choices take the strongest bonds.

“Nep- Nep, mate, I want t’ help you but I can’t understand shiet you’re saying.” Scarlet grimaced, his hands on Neptune’s shoulders. 

Neptune continued to ramble off in Korean, holding his head. The large wooden doors creaked in protest, Sun letting out a disgruntled noise. This situation wasn’t getting any better; in fact, it was getting significantly worse. 

“Any ideas from our fearless leader?” Sun frowned, readjusting his footing. 

Adam frowned deeply, the sound of his boots dragging across the floor, 

“For you to not be a fucking idiot, but I think it’s a bit late for that.” He snapped, holding back a growl. 

Sun rolled his eyes, doing his best to take the moral high ground, 

“Any GOOD ideas.” He grit his teeth, trying to ignore the others snarky attitude. 

Sage in the meantime was quiet, brows furrowed. He rested his head against the rattling doors, hands firmly holding the handles. Adam and Sun continued to argue, the tension in the room rising,

“If you had taken the shot we wouldn’t be in this mess!” 

“You don’t think I know that!? If that would help us in this situation I’d be all for it but it sure as hell isn’t!” Sun snapped back, losing his temper.

Scarlet fumed, his hand rubbing Neptune’s back, 

“Would you two shut the fuck up! Fighting over this shit ain’t solvin’ anything!” 

The two went silent, the chapel growing silent besides the growls from outside and rattling of the doors. Sage glanced around the room, a chill running up his spine. He knew they were not alone in this building. With all the noise, either made by them or by the horde outside, it was only a matter of time before they drew attention from whatever was lurking. He looked to Sun, the blonde’s face stuck in a grimace. Was this really going to be it? After all they’d been through?

_ Sage sat on the fire escape, his hand rested against his palm. The city seemed eerily quiet after the chaos, giving off an unsettling feeling. Boston was usually a bustling city; cars and sirens going off night and day. Crowds of people and screaming children flooding the sidewalks. He leaned back against the brick wall, frowning.  _

_ The sound of the window opening got his attention, a pair of yellow sneakers hanging out. Sun slipped through the opening, plopping himself down on the metal grate,  _

_ “How’s everything?” He chirped, crossing his legs. _

_ Sage rose a brow, cocking his head,  _

_ “Fine…? Sun, you don’t have to check up on all of us when we have watch.” He chuckled a bit, stretching his legs out.  _

_ The other laughed awkwardly, scratching his head,  _

_ “I know, I know- I just… Wanna make sure you guys are okay.”  _

_ Sage offered a noise of recognition, letting out a sigh, _

_ “Y’know, we’re here for you Sun. I know you feel like you need to protect all of us, but we care about you too.”  _

_ Sun blinked before leaning back, smiling sadly,  _

_ “I know. I just want to keep us all safe for once. You… You guys have been my home away from home, you know?”  _

_ “And you’re ours.” Sage smiled, putting a hand on the others shoulder.  _

The door let out another creak of protest, growling from outside growing more agitated. Adam frowned, his boots sliding again, 

“Well. This fucking blows.” 

Sage let out a breath, looking at Adam, 

“You guys go, I can hold it.” 

Sun immediately looked to Sage, eyes widening,

“I better have not heard that.” 

The other looked to the blonde, brows knit, 

“Sun, we’re not all getting out of here. I’m the strongest out of all of us; I can hold it.” 

“Like fuckin’ hell you’re holdin’ it!” Scarlet interjected, his voice quivering. 

Neptune glanced up at Sage, his hand on his chest, 

“Y-You’re not serious. Sage!” 

Adam stayed silent for a moment, letting out a breath, 

“He’s right.” 

The man sounded uncharacteristically solemn, no sarcasm or aggression in his voice. Sun had a mix of anger and panic on his face, unwilling to back down from this argument,

“No, you shut the fuck up!” He snapped at Adam before looking back to Sage, “Sage, listen to me; we are not leaving without you!” 

Sage shook his head, locking eyes with Sun,    
  
“Sun, if we all stay here, we all go down. I’m the only person who can do this,” He glanced over his shoulder at Scarlet and Neptune, looking back to the blonde with a sad smile, “We’re family; we protect each other.” 

Sun was at a loss for words, only resulting to shaking his head. This wasn’t happening. This was his fault- he couldn’t let Sage do this. Scarlet was yelling at them, Neptune looking on the ready to slip into a full blown panic. 

Everything sounded muffled; Sun felt like he was underwater. He knew they were in danger, he knew they had to make a decision. That didn’t make it any easier. Adam could see the look on Sun’s face; he was in denial. He wanted to think there was some solution to their situation. A way for all of them to get out- but there wasn’t. 

“We need to go.” Adam murmured, trying his best to not cause any more agitation. 

“Sage, I-” Sun started, only to be stopped by the other.

“Sun, it’s okay.” 

They were all in a bit of denial, but the increasing aggression from outside was unfortunately pushing them to their limit. Sun and Adam kept their backs against the door, deciding it would be best to keep their place until the last minute. Neptune was teary eyed, giving a tight hug to Sage, resting his head on his back, 

“You don’t have to do this. We-”

“It’s gonna be fine Nep; you get out of here and you be happy, okay?” 

Scarlet practically had to be peeled off the taller man, by no means ready to let go. He was crying against Sage’s back, shaking his head. 

“C’mon Scar, it’s gonna be okay.” 

“How are you so okay with this!? You’re going to die!” He sobbed, being held back by Neptune. 

“Because you guys are gonna get out of this- I’ll be alright.” Sage smiled over his shoulder, brows knit. 

Sun was dreading what came next. By the look Adam was giving him, it was his turn to say his goodbyes. Scarlet and Neptune switched places with him, the blonde loosely wrapping his arms around Sage. He rested his head on his back, eyes squeezed shut,

“This...This is my fault. Sage I-”

“It’ll be okay, Sun. You take care of these two idiots, okay?” He gave a weak chuckle, glancing at the two, “Especially Neptune, you know how he is.” 

“Hey!” 

Sun stepped back, offering a sad smile, 

“I will.” 

Adam pulled a revolver from his belt, flipping it in his hand. He held the grip out to Sage, a stoney look on his face, 

“You’ve got six shots- save one.” 

Sage looked at it for a moment before bracing himself against the doors with his shoulder. He hesitantly took the weapon from Adam, offering a small nod. Sun adjusted his grip on his bat, looking to the others. 

“On three.” Adam muttered, reloading his shotgun in the process, “Remember we’re not alone in here.” 

Sage gave a nod to Sun, turning his attention back to the door. Sun blinked his tears away, shaking his head. 

“...Three!” 

The four took off down the pews, Neptune keeping his arm locked around Scarlet’s. The redhead looked back, biting his quivering lip. Adam kicked in a door, immediately being met by an infected. He was quick to react, taking the shot almost immediately. The muffled sound of wood cracking came from the other room, the sound being partially drowned out by their heavy foot falls. 

“Stairs! Adam go first, I’ll follow behind!” Sun shouted, slamming his heel into an infected behind them. 

He nodded, leading the way up the stairs. Neptune and Scarlet followed close behind, the two trying to keep focused on the task at hand. Sun kicked another infected backwards, the creature tumbling down the staircase. They could hear muffled screaming and pleading from different rooms in the chapel, chilling them to the bone. The echo of a gunshot came from below them, causing Scarlet to almost trip over his own feet. 

Neptune felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, but he grabbed the red head, continuing to pull him forward,

“I-I know Scar, I know; but we have to keep going.” His voice cracked, face stuck in a grimace. 

Sun hesitated before pushing forward, his knuckles going white. One. Making their way to the next set of stairs, Adam pulled the trigger, a quiet ‘click’ coming from his gun. He silently cursed, slamming the butt of the weapon as hard as he could into the creatures head. 

“Is it as shitty back there for you as it is for me?” He shouted back to Sun, watching the blonde’s bat slam into another's head. 

“No no- It’s GREAT back here.” He huffed, wiping his face with his sleeve. Another two gunshots rang out from below, causing Sun to bite his lip; three. 

Adam tossed his shotgun to Neptune, not wanting to waste any time re-holstering it, 

“Hold this!” He snapped, pulling his sword from his belt. 

He drew his blade, flipping the sheath in his hand; while he rarely used his sheath as a weapon, they could use all the help they could get. Making their way up the second set of stairs, two more gunshots rang out, all four of them tensing. Five. As focused as Sun tried to be, he couldn’t help but keep looking back. He wanted to see Sage come up the stairs behind them. He wanted everything to be fine and all of them to go back home and argue about it. 

The sixth shot was deafening, causing the three to come to a screeching halt. Adam grimaced, as they stood in the mid point of the stairs, looking ahead of them. They were so close to the roof exit, they couldn’t stop now. Sun shook his head, pushing the other two forward, 

“We have to go- Come on guys, we’ve gotta get out of here.” 

Scarlet sobbed, practically being drug up the stairs by an equally teary eyed Neptune. The floor below them rumbled, the roaring of footsteps seemingly shaking the very foundation of the building. Adam frowned, yelling down to them,

“Come on! We need to leave- now!” 

He swiftly nailed an infected in the neck with the end of his sheath, quickly beheading it. Meanwhile Sun was a couple stairs down, more infected beginning to build up in the small space. The side rooms began to rattle, the growing commotion seemily enraging it’s inhabitants. Scarlet stumbled up the steps, the stairs creaking under them.

Adam kicked open the roof door, only to be met by the sound of wood splintering behind him. 

“Scarlet!” He heard Neptune yell from below; well that couldn’t be good.

He turned on his heel, making his way back down the steps, only to see the smaller man’s leg stuck through one of the brittle stairs. Adam let out a loud groan, heading down to Sun, 

“Pull him out I can hold them.” 

Sun nodded, running up to help. They each grabbed looped an arm under each of Scarlet’s, wincing as the redhead let out a pained yell. The large splinters tore at his leg, cutting into his skin as they pulled him free. 

“Fuck, FUCK OW!” He screamed, his pant leg shredding as it was ripped back through the gap. 

Blood seeped through his jeans, the jagged pieces of wood still stuck in his leg. 

“Get him to the roof!” Adam snapped, slowly backing up the stairs. 

The two practically lifted him, making their way up the steps as fast as possible. They were more wary of the steps, not wanting to have another disaster on their hands. Adam followed closely behind, slamming the door behind them as soon as they made it to the top. 

Getting to the next rooftop proved a bit more challenging with Scarlet, but the three managed. Sun eventually opted to carry the smaller male on his back, which the other didn’t object. 

“How you doin’, Scar?” Sun asked quietly, being sure to not attract any unwanted attention. 

“My fuckin’ leg hurts and I feel like shit.” He sniffled, his face pressed into Sun’s shoulder, “How m’ I supposed to feel; there’s only four of us comin’ back.” 

Adam turned back and glared at the others raising voice, a finger coming up to his lips. The last thing he wanted was more trouble tonight. Neptune sniffled a bit as well, rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. Scarlet was right; the whole trip back felt… off. There were no jokes, no laughs- just silence and quiet callouts as they moved through the ruined city. 

A bit of relief washed over the group as the spotted the familiar fire escape, the apartment as always looking uninhabited and desolate; as it should be. Adam and Sun helped Scarlet up, keeping a hand on him as he moved up the stairs, just in case he wasn’t stable enough to hold his own weight. Adam gave a series of knocks on the window, only for the curtain to be ripped back in an instant, a worried Blake on the other side. 

She was quick to unlock the window, helping Scarlet in first. The other three piled in, Neptune collapsing onto the floor as soon as he got in. Blake pulled Adam and Sun into a hug, not minding the blood they were covered in, 

“What happened!? It’s been hours, where’s Sag-” 

She was abruptly cut off by Sun, who pulled her into an even tighter hug. Blake blinked, looking to Adam for some amount of explanation. He simply looked to the side, shaking his head. 

“Sun- All of you I’m… I’m so sorry…” She put a hand on the blonde’s back, resting her other hand in his hair. 

Adam rubbed his face, resting his hand on his cheek. He looked to Neptune, who had his back against the wall, head rested on his knees. A sigh escaped him as he looked to Blake, motioning to Scarlet, 

“We’ve gotta patch up his leg, he’s in bad shape.” 

Sun let go, letting out a breath, 

“He’s right, Scar-” 

“I don’t…Feel well...” Scarlet started, his brows furrowed. 

Blake looked at the other with concern, heading to the couch, 

“It’s okay, Scarlet. We’re gonna get you fixed up.” She cooed, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

He shook his head, arm buckling under him as he collapsed. Blake was barely able to catch him in time, holding onto him as his body began convulsing. 

“Oh god, Scarlet!”

“Scarlet!” Sun dashed over, Adam close behind.

They shoved the coffee table out of the way, making room to lay the other down. Neptune got up, standing over the couch.

“What’s happening to him!?” He stuttered, looking panicked.

Adam kicked the coffee table further away, looking at Sun,

“He’s having a seizure, hold his bad leg!” 

Blake turned his head to the side, looking to Neptune,

“Does he have some kind of medical condition? Why is this happening?” She pushed her hair back, watching Sun hold Scarlet’s leg down so he wouldn’t hurt himself.

Neptune tripped over his words, looking between Blake and Scarlet, 

“N-No! Not that he ever told us!” 

He began to calm down, the jerking of his body coming to a stop. Adam looked down at his leg, brows furrowing, 

“Blake go get some water; now.” 

Blake blinked, gently putting Scarlet’s head down before heading to the kitchen. Neptune moved around the couch, placing the others head on his lap. He absentmindedly combed his fingers through his hair, glancing to Sun with concern. The blonde was at a loss; he had Scarlet’s battered leg propped on top of his own to keep it from scraping against the floor. 

Making her way back into the living room, Blake set down a gallon of water next to Scarlet’s leg, kneeling down. She pulled her survival knife from her belt, cutting off his pant leg around the wound. 

“So how did this happen?” She mused, glancing up at Sun. 

Sun was still reeling, pushing his hair back with his palm,

“We- We were running up a staircase and one of the steps caved in. We didn’t have time to be very gentle with it, y’know?” He trailed off, watching her work. 

Blake popped open the lid, water washing over the blood that had been caking onto his leg. She assumed Adam could care less if his floor was ruined, and quite frankly, she didn’t care if he did currently. Doing her best to be gentle, she began carefully removing the splintered wood from his leg, cringing when he whined. Adam sat on the edge of the table, glancing over her shoulder. 

His eyes narrowed as he leaned in, his head slightly cocked to the side,

“Blake, what’s that?” 

She glanced back to him, raising a brow,

“What’s what?” 

He pointed over her shoulder, gesturing to a slightly muddied wound,

“That.”

Her brows knit as she wiped over the area, splashing another wash of water over Scarlet’s leg. 

“T-that’s…” She stammered , eyes widening. 

A misshapen bite mark was around his ankle; the area was red and irritated, the veins surrounding the area looking almost black. Adam grabbed his sword, drawing it, 

“Cut it off. We need to cut it off.”

Blake stood up, putting herself between Scarlet and him, 

“Calm down! Put that away!” She puffed up, starring Adam down.

“We need to do this now!” He snapped at her, fuming.

Sun was just staring at the wound in shock, no words coming to him. The two argued in hushed voices, the smaller woman putting her hand on the hilt of Adam’s blade. Neptune bit his lip, eyes watering, 

“I-It’s already too late.” He choked out, eyes squeezing shut.

They all looked to Neptune with surprise, brows furrowed. Blake opened her mouth; this time it was her turn to have a lack of words. Sun hesitated, locking eyes with Neptune,

“What do you mean it’s too late?” He tried to keep his voice steady; more panic wouldn’t help anything. 

“If...If he had a seizure- that means the infection has reached the brain, right?” Neptune leaned over Scarlet, body shaking. 

Adam bit his lip before turning on his heel, slamming his fist into the wall. He stopped himself from yelling, attempting to contain his anger. They didn’t get along, but it didn’t mean he wanted them dead. The room grew quiet after his outburst, Neptune’s words sinking in. 

Blake let out a breath, doing her best to think logically in this situation. There was no telling how Sun and Neptune were doing; even Adam seemed shaken to the core. She felt guilty, not being there. While they were fighting for their lives, dying for supplies, she was sitting at home. 

“We’ll keep him in the bathroom since it’s separated from us while we figure out what to do. We- We can set up the tub as a bed.” She offered, wincing at the idea.

The last thing she wanted was to quarantine a member of their group, but they had to prioritize. Looking to Neptune, who was in a daze, she rested a hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze,

“Neptune, are you well enough to help me set up the bathroom?” 

He jumped at the motion, staring at her for a moment. He managed a shaky nod, pulling a pillow from the couch to rest the smaller males head on. The two made there way to the bathroom, leaving Sun and Adam to watch over Scarlet. 

Adam sunk down in a nearby chair, wiping some of the caked blood from his face with a damp towel. He looked to Sun, tossing him one, 

“Clean up; we don’t know how the infection works. Best you get as much off of you as you can.” He muttered.

The blonde half-heartedly began wiping himself off a bit, his eyes still trained on Scarlet. The other sighed, tilting his head back. This wasn’t his forte by any means; this was much more Blake’s thing. 

“I know you’re not okay, but are you hanging in there?” 

Sun offered a pitiful laugh, glancing back at Adam, 

“I just- I don’t know how this happened...” He began trailing off again, his eyes going back to Scarlet. 

Adam let out another sigh, rubbing his temple,

“He fell through a stair right? Churches like that usually have crawl spaces- Some poor bastard probably got bit and locked himself in there.” 

“Why do you know that?” Sun’s brows furrowed, looking at him with confusion.

He shrugged, placing his feet on the coffee table,

“My fosters used to drag me to church. When I ‘misbehaved’ the,” he put up his hands, making air quotes, “‘Sisters’ would put me under there.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

Sun offered a small nod, shoulders slumping. They all knew where this was headed. Even while Blake and Neptune set up as comfortable as a bed as their resources would allow, they knew he wouldn’t get better. Cleaning the wound, cutting off the leg; there was no difference. It was just the task of making the time he had left a bit easier.

Once the bathroom was prepared, they got to the task of moving him. While Blake had cleaned up his wounds, the concern of bumping or even touching the sensitive limb was still in play. Adam and Sun did most of the lifting, though that didn’t stop the other two from hovering nearby just incase. They carefully lowered him into the makeshift bed, Neptune placing an extra pillow under his injured leg. 

Adam leaned against the door jam, a frown painting his face. He watched them get Scarlet situated, his thumb pressed against his temple. While Blake was quick to think of a temporary solution, the small male likely wouldn’t make it till morning. It was easy to think they had all the time in the world, but they had little time, and even less options. 

He went through every option in his head- Cutting off the bite, finding antizin; they were unrealistic. Even if they were able to get lucky and find an airdrop, it would be looted or they wouldn’t be armed enough to fight for it. He groaned, wracking his brain for more ideas. Every thought he had, every solution he came up with- it all lead to the same conclusion. 

Adam wouldn’t make Sun do it. He had the thickest skin, he could handle it. Though he’d reached a revelation, it didn’t make the reality any easier. He knew how it would go. They’d argue, tell him he was heartless, that there had to be another way. Scarlet would have to be put down; whether they disagree or not. It wasn’t just for the sake of their groups survival- it was for Scarlet’s sake as well. 

“We should restrain him.” He murmured, glancing to Sun.

Neptune glared at the other, frowning,

“Are you kidding? He’s not even awake-”

Sun placed a hand in front of Neptune, motioning for him to stop. He had a somber look on his face, brows knit. 

“He’s right. We need to be safe; not just for our sake, but for Scarlet’s.” 

Neptune gave the blonde a look of disbelief, not believing what he was hearing. He shook his head, shoving past Adam as he left the room. Blake glanced between the two, offering a silent motion as she went after him. Sun let out a sigh, closing his eyes. He knew to not take it personally. 

Neptune wasn’t one to have thick skin. Even though he’d come out of his shell since they met back in middle school, he was still quite sensitive. Seeing as they were in the process of losing another one of their best friends, it was understandable that he wasn’t thinking clearly. 

Sun didn’t have the luxury of being upset, being in denial. He had lost part of his family, and he had to stay strong for what was left. Neptune would need him later; they’d both need each other to get through this. Adam began unfastening his boots, unlacing the thick cord that kept them tied. They settled on keeping his hands tied to the support bar, Sun sitting closest to the tub. 

After an unsettling duration of silence, Adam glanced up to the blonde, frowning,

“...Do you want to go talk to your friend?” He muttered, looking to the side, “I can watch him.”

“No.” 

He was genuinely surprised by the quick response. It was honestly a bit… unnerving seeing Sun so stone faced; even for Adam.

“I want to be here when he wakes up- Infected or not,” he paused, glancing at Adam, “I want him to know regardless of what happens, he’s not alone.” 

“If he’s infected he wont-”

“I don’t think so.” Sun was quick to cut him off, his attention trained on Scarlet. 

Adam’s eyes narrowed, his mouth slightly agape,

“You’re kidding, right?” 

“I...I’ve heard them...talking, crying. Some sound afraid, some sound in pain,” he closed his eyes, “And you’re right. The best thing we can do is put them out of their misery.” 

He opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a weak gasp from the tub. Sun was quick to sit up, looking down at Scarlet, 

“Scar- Buddy, can you hear me?” 

“I- Y-yeah… Where… Am I?” He looked dazed, face drenched in sweat, “Why th’ fuck m’ I tied ‘t the tub..?” 

Sun’s breath hitched, words catching in his throat. Adam got up from his seat on the floor, leaning against the shower door, 

“You’re infected. We didn’t want to take any chances.” 

It was easiest for him to outright say it. With Sun already containing his emotions this much, he didn’t want to push it. Scarlet was clearly in shock at first; staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. His eyes started watering, tears spilling over, 

“I...Am I gonna die?” He croaked out, words growing weaker as he spoke. 

Sun bit his lip, blinking his tears away, 

“Yes.” 

He hesitantly reached out to Scarlet’s hand, giving it a squeeze. The others fingers wrapped around his, choked sobs leaving him. 

“I’ll be here, all the way.” 

Scarlet gave a shaky nod, uncontrollable sobs leaving him, 

“I don’ wanna turn int’ onea’ those things!” 

Sun crawled into the makeshift bed with Scarlet, leaning back against the wall, 

“I know buddy, I know.” 

Adam blew air out of his nose, resting his forehead against the door. They’d seen what the infection did to you. It ripped you apart, made you wish you were dead. 

“I...Can make it quick. If you want.” He muttered, eyes squeezing shut. 

Killing mindless infected was one thing; but a sentient person? One that he was familiar with? This was different- Something not even he wanted to do. 

“Y-You mean-” Scarlet glanced up at Adam, voice quivering. 

There was a short nod in response, nothing more, nothing less. The moment was interrupted by Neptune and Blake, the tall male practically shoving Adam out of the way, 

“Scar! You’re awake!” 

His voice cracked, eyes still red from what Sun could only assume was from crying in the living room. Blake quietly tucked her hair behind her ear, taking a place next to Adam. She received a gentle tap on the shoulder, glancing up to the other. Adam leaned down to whisper to her, earning a somewhat mortified look. She quietly slipped out of the room, earning a nod from the other. 

Neptune took Scarlet’s other hand, leaning over the tub, 

“Does it hurt? How are you feeling?” His face was drenched in concern, more tears threatening to spill over. 

“F’ been better…” Scarlet let out a weak laugh, his fragile smile fading, “M’ chest feels like s’ on fire…” 

He let out a weak cough, resting his head against Sun’s arm. Neptune frowned, glancing at the blonde for some kind of answer. Scarlet bit his lip, looking down, 

“Can’t we.. Whatta’ bout’ that medicine? Couldn’t we-”

Adam let out a sigh, brows furrowing, 

“We wouldn’t be able to get it in time; going for a drop isn’t just a gamble, it’s a deathwish.” 

Neptune fumed, glaring at Adam, 

“We at least have to try! What? We’re just going to sit around and do nothing!?” He snapped, unwilling to give in. 

Scarlet quivered, glancing up at Sun. The blonde looked tired. While he kept on a neutral expression, he could tell by the look in his eyes the futility of their situation. Neptune was still arguing with Adam, the other clearly becoming agitated. 

“For the smart one you’re a fucking idiot.” Adam growled, losing his patience. 

“At least I actually want to do something about it! Sun!” He looked to the other, pleading, “We have to do something!” 

Sun looked between the two brows knit. They were both staring at him, waiting for him to come to their defense,

“It’s a fucking suicide mission! Do you have any idea how much ammo I used getting us out of the shit show we were just in?” Adam finally snapped, turning red in the face, “What are you gonna be doing when we get jumped? Hiding behind Sun like you always fucking do!?” 

Blake put her hand in front of Adam, glaring at him. He blew air out of his nose, growling at her. 

“Adam, go cool off.” She murmured, staring at him. 

“Maybe if someone actually thought about how the fucking world works I wouldn’t-” 

“Now Adam.” Blake moved out of the doorway, pointing to the living room.

Adam let out a frustrated noise, stomping out of the room. Neptune had shrunk back, looking down at the floor. He felt Sun’s hand on his shoulder, giving him a slight squeeze. Blake sighed, pushing her hair back,

“I’m sorry, Neptune. He just gets…” She trailed off for a moment, glancing down the hallway, “A little explosive sometimes.” 

“He’s...Right…” Neptune balled his fists, shoulders slumping, “I’ve just been hiding behind people this entire time.” 

Scarlet frowned, letting out a sigh, 

“Hey… I can’t say f’ done much either, Nep.” 

Sun shook his head looking between the two, 

“No; This is my fault. If I hadn’t hesitated, we would have been fine.” He looked away, eyes downcast. 

Scarlet gave Sun’s hand a squeeze, shaking his head, 

“We relied on you too much. We… We always put so much pressure on y’ to keep s’ safe… M’ sorry, Sun.” 

Neptune nodded, glancing up at Sun, 

“He’s right… We… We just always expected you and Sage to protect us. If we weren't so afraid maybe Sage would still-” 

Blake had finally heard enough. She interjected, looking at the three, 

“That’s enough from all of you. I know… A lot has happened today,” she paused, glancing at Scarlet, “And that things look bleak… But don’t beat yourselves down for what’s happening.” 

Sun gave her a weak smile, resting his head against the wall. Her words made him feel a bit better, but it didn’t change the inevitable. Blake sat down next to Neptune, resting a hand on his leg. Scarlet began to shiver, sweat dripping from his face, 

“Cold…” 

Sun draped a blanket over him, placing an arm around his neck, 

“I gottcha, Scar.” He murmured, resting the others head on his shoulder. 

Neptune kept his hand wrapped around Scarlet’s, glancing back at Blake. They were running out of time. 

“Why don’t you three… Talk things out. I’m going to go make sure Adam isn’t trashing the living room.” She hummed, giving a pat to Neptune’s leg. 

They knew what that meant. Blake made her way out of the room, giving a nod to Sun on the way out. Scarlet’s shoulders slumped as he watched her leave; his hair falling into his face. 

“What do you want to do, Scar?” Sun looked back at him, pushing his hair out of his face. 

Neptune sat silently, doing his best to hold himself together. There really wasn’t another way- was there? The fact Sage was gone still hadn’t set in; now Scarlet? This whole epidemic, these last months; it was like something that happened in movies or video games, not real life. 

Scarlet’s eyes watered as he looked up at Sun, biting his lip,

“I… I don’t wanna lose myself. I don’t wanna turn inta’ onea’ those things that killed Sage!” He let out a sob, crying into the blonde’s shoulder. 

Sun rubbed his back, nodding, 

“I know, Scar- But we won’t do anything you don’t want us to.” He murmured, eyes squeezing shut. 

Neptune glanced at Sun, a chill running up his spine. Did he mean? 

“Will… Will it hurt?” Scarlet choked out, tensing. 

Sun paused, feeling reality hit him like a truck. It felt like the small question had knocked the wind out of him. This was it. After this, Scarlet wouldn’t be pestering him. Sage wouldn’t be there to have jokes go over his head. No one would laugh when he ate shit while skating. It would just be Neptune and him. 

“No… No Scar, it won’t.” He forced out, locking eyes with him. 

Neptune shook his head, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. Scarlet gave a shaky nod, looking at Neptune, 

“You idiots better fuckin’ make it- got that?” He gave a weak smile, “And Nep; stop bein’ such a bitch.” 

Neptune let out a broken laugh, choked with sobs, 

“Wow, thanks a lot.” He bit his lip, resting his forehead against the side of the tub, “I’m gonna miss you, Scar.” 

“M’ gonna miss you too…” Scarlet looked to Sun, smiling weakly, “N’ you… Don’ go blamin’ yourself, kay? You… Y’ did everything you could.” 

While he didn’t agree, he knew it was best to nod along. This all happened because of him, but there was no turning back time. He untied Scarlet’s wrists, before pulling him into a tight hug. Neptune was next, the taller male squeezing him tightly. There was a few words exchanged, small sentiments and silly memories. Scarlet was quick to fall into a coughing fit, his hand on his chest. 

Sun rubbed his back, glancing to Neptune,

“Can you get Adam?” 

Neptune stiffened, offering a weak nod. He gave Scarlet’s hand a squeeze, more tears threatening to spill over, 

“We’ll always be family, Scarlet. Always.” 

Scarlet leaned back against Sun, nodding back, 

“Always.” 

He slipped out of the room, sniffles following. Scarlet looked at Sun, brows furrowing, 

“Arn’t ya’ gonna go with him?” 

“I told you, I’d be here- all the way.” He hummed, rubbing his shoulder. 

Scarlet opened his mouth to speak, before closing it. He gave a small nod, squeezing Sun’s hand. Adam peeked into the room, looking between the two. While he was less than thrilled the smaller man's hands were free; it was best to not mention it. Sun nodded, shifting in his seat. The other let out a sigh, stepping into the small room, closing the door behind him. 

Sun helped Scarlet out of the tub, sitting him down in front of the sink, 

“Whenever your ready, buddy.” Sun murmured, squeezing his hand. 

Scarlet nodded, taking a few deep breaths. He sounded raspy, his body drenched in sweat. Adam glanced to the blonde, raising a brow. Sun knew Adam was giving him time to leave; while they didn’t get along, he owed the other. He simply shook his head, unmoving from his spot next to Scarlet. 

“Do you want to know when it’s coming?” Adam did his best to keep his voice steady, knowing now wasn’t the time to get cold feet. 

Scarlet bit his lip, shaking his head. Sun let out a breath, placing a hand on his shoulder, 

“Just close your eyes, okay?” 

He nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. Sun felt the others weak grip on his hand tighten, the blonde rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. Adam pulled the pistol from his belt, looking at Sun. He took a deep breath, giving a nod to the other. 

The shot echoed through the apartment, Neptune’s whole body going rigid. He could feel Blake’s hand on his back, her words sounding muffled. Violent sobs escaped him as he doubled over, hands fisting in his hair. Small circles were made between his shoulder blades, quiet soothing words she was cooing to him coming out just as broken and shaky. It felt like the whole world had just stopped as reality came crashing down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :x I'm sorry


	11. Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the growing normality of the epidemic, Jaune has grow quite use to daily life. Reality just never sets in until it's too late.

“Say ‘ahhh’.” 

“Ahhhh!” 

Jaune nodded, pulling his gloves off, 

“It looks like she just has a little cold, nothing to be worried about.” 

The young girls mother let out a sigh of relief, nodding. She picked up the child, brushing unruly curls out of her face,

“Thank you. It’s just-” The woman paused, looking at Jaune, “Can never be too safe these days.” 

Jaune nodded, smiling,

“Of course. Just make sure she gets a lot of rest and she’ll be better in no time.” 

He watched the two leave, his smiling dropping as he slumped into a chair. His head tilted back, staring up at the ceiling; over the past few months, he’d gone from student to full fledged doctor. Regardless of being thrown into the deep end, at least it was fulfilling. There were more than he could count in worse situations than himself. 

Jaune yawned, rubbing his temples. He should consider himself lucky, being able to stay within the university walls. There was a quiet knock on the door, a familiar face peeking through, 

“Jaune? Are you busy?” 

He jumped, looking to the door, 

“Oh, no I’m not. What’s up, Ren?” 

Ren slipped into the room, his arms crossed, 

“Nora wanted me to check on you. Something along the lines of ‘make sure he’s not dead’.” 

Jaune smiled, leaning back in his chair, 

“I’m fine guys; don’t worry about me. Nora and Pyrrha are doing a lot more than I am.” 

He scratched the back of his head, brows furrowed. As soon as the epidemic became more widespread, Nora and Pyrrha were among the first to volunteer to help. Seeing as they both came from athletic backgrounds, it seemed like a perfect match. Though that didn’t make Jaune any less anxious. They were constantly risking their lives for any supplies and medicine they could find. 

“That doesn’t mean your health isn’t important. Doing inventory and calming survivors isn’t exactly life threatening, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less important; so I’ve been told.” Ren mused, cocking his head. 

Jaune nodded, getting up to put a hand on the others shoulder, 

“You guys are right; I just…” He looked down as he tucked some of his hair behind his ear, “Wish I could do something more.” 

Ren smiled a bit, rolling his eyes, 

“Out of everyone here, you -are- one of the few who are doing the most.” 

Jaune groaned, leaning against the wall,

"How much did Nora have to bother you to get you to say that?" 

The other paused, shrugging loosely,

"Only a bit." 

A laugh escaped both of them, Jaune punching him in the shoulder. 

"I was also told to force you to take a break." Ren hummed, holding the door open, "And if you don't then she'll break me." 

The blonde sighed, a grumble escaping him. He had things to do, people to see, newcomer survivors to do health checks on. Seeing at how Ren was staring at him, it was looking like he wouldn’t be getting out of this. Jaune stuffed his hands in his pockets, cocking his head to the side, 

“Alright, alright. Fiiiiine.” He drug out his words, tilting his head back childishly. 

He followed behind Ren, glancing out the university windows. Students and civilians alike were repairing the fences, tent encampments filling the once open space. After everything had happened, their college was one of the first places to make a push back against the police brutality during the epidemic. Though it wasn’t luxurious, the campus grounds were safe; as long as everyone played their part, they were hopeful that it would stay that way. 

Ren glanced back at Jaune, frowning. He could practically hear him overthinking. While he was happy that he’d gotten past his ‘lazy teen’ phase, he was still a bleeding heart. It made him worry, and he was -not- one to worry. Everything had happened so fast, no one really had time to adjust. Their lives changed in an instant; troubles going from being late to class or spilling coffee on an assignment, to stitching up wounds and rationing out meals. 

They made their way into the cafeteria, tired faces and restless children sitting around the room in groups. Jaune sighed, brows knitting. They really needed to start expanding into the rest of the school. 

"Stop thinking so loud." Ren deadpanned, raising a brow.

Jaune blinked, scratching his head,

"...Is it really that bad?" 

"Jaune, I've known you for years. And I can tell you it is." 

The blonde hummed, pushing his hair out of his face. There was just too much to worry about. How long could they really stay here? If the military wasn't helping then how long could they really last-

"Ohmygoish you actually got him out of that room!" 

The shrill voice pulled him out of his thoughts, the wind being knocked out of him as Nora slung an arm around his shoulders,

"Good job, Ren!" She chirped, smiling. 

Pyrrha made her way over as well, offering a slight wave. The two looked like they'd just gotten back from what he could only guess was a supplies run or a scouting mission. While Jaune would love to help- he was never the most athletic. It was best to leave jobs to those who were suited. 

"I'm glad to see you out and about, Jaune. It’s worrisome when you lock yourself in that office.” Pyrrha mused, smiling gently. 

Ren gently pat Nora’s head as he was swayed back and forth, caught in the smaller girls grip, 

“Since we’re all back, why don’t we all get something to eat.” He mumurmed. 

Pyrrha gave a quaint nod, smiling, 

“That sounds wonderful. Why don’t we-” 

Nora grabbed Ren, dragging him towards the rations distribution, 

“We’ll go get it! Why don’t you two catch up!~” She chirped happily, bouncing off with the stoic male in toe. 

Jaune watched them go, raising a brow. They both looked at eachother, offering a slight shrug, 

“Want to find a comfy spot on the floor?” 

“Sounds wonderful.” Pyrrha let out a quiet laugh, face flushing. 

Finding a decently uncrowded space, they sat down. She leaned back against the wall, shoulders slumping. The exhaustion of their recent expeditions was really beginning to set in. Not that she wanted to complain, but the fear of making any mistakes was constantly looming over her. Even now people still looked up to her; wanted her advice, looked to her for comfort in the times they were stuck in. 

Jaune glanced at her, frowning. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze, 

“P? You okay?” 

She jumped a bit, rubbing her eyes, 

“I- Yes. Yes I’m fine. Sorry to worry you.” She smiled, resting her cheek against her knee, “I’m just very tired. Some rest and some food will fix me right up!” 

“Hey, you don't have to act. I know everyone looks to you for advice, but we're all here for you." He mused, rubbing her shoulder.

Pyrrha glanced up at him, her eyes going downcast,

"Back then… That man… Do you…" She bit her lip, brows furrowing, "Did I kill him?"

Jaune sighed, scooting closer to her, 

"Pyrrha I-"

"Please, don't lie to me." 

He paused, leaning back against the wall,

"You… likely broke some of his ribs; they may have punctured his lungs but there's no way to be sure." 

Pyrrha rested her head against her knees, shaking her head. Jaune put his arm around her, pulling her in,

"Pyrrha, it was literally life or death, it's not your fault," he rested his chin on the top of her head, "You did it protecting me, so this isn't all on you." 

Pyrrha rubbed her eyes, resting her head against his chest,

"I just… I never meant to hurt anyone." 

Jaune rubbed her back, watching Nora and Ren make their way over. The two didn't know about what had happened, just that they'd had a close encounter all those months ago. Nora sat down next to them, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha. Ren placed his hand on top of hers, the four of them sitting in silence. 

They didn't need to understand to comfort their friend, and Jaune was grateful for that. Nora gave her a squeeze, glancing over her shoulder,

"Whatever it is, it's okay Pyrrha. We're here for you." 

Ren offered a nod, squeezing her hand,

"Nora's right. We're all in this together." 

Pyrrha rubbed her eyes again, smiling,

"I… Thank you all; I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She laughed weakly, glancing at Jaune. 

He knew she'd rather keep what happened between them, and he would respect that. They managed to get past Pyrrha’s episode, doing their best to enjoy what had become their rare time together. 

“Oh oh! So everyone was struggling to move this fallen over pole and Pyrrha and I lifted it like it was no problem!” She grinned, flexing, “Better move out of the way boys, let us take care of it!” 

Pyrrha flushed, rubbing her arms, 

“Well… You know it’s just the spur of the moment kind of things, you know?” She laughed awkwardly. 

Ren let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head, 

“Alright Nora, we get it. You’re stronger than us.” 

Jaune scratched his head, laughing, 

“You guys are wild. I can barely lift a box.” 

“I’d regale you with tales of my job, but doing inventory isn’t exactly thrilling.” Ren hummed, crossing his legs, “Considering Nora could barely pay attention to when I was talking about arithmetic back in school, I doubt-” 

Nora let out an exaggerated snore, flopping back onto the floor, 

“The only bright side of this situation is no school and you’re still doing math!” 

Pyrrha and Jaune laughed, watching Ren’s shoulders slump as he grumbled to himself. 

“No! I want to see my wife!” 

Jaune glanced over at the door, the familiar voice catching his attention, 

“Terra?” 

The usually stoic woman was hysterical, Adrien crying loudly in her arms. Jaune stood up, making his way over to the man trying to calm her down, 

“Ma’am please, we understand but we don’t want to take any health risks-”

“You will take me to my wife right now or so help me-” 

“Terra? What’s going on?” Jaune put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump. 

She turned to look at him, her eyes puffy as she bounced Adrien in her arms, trying to get him to calm down, 

“Jaune? Jaune you need to get them to listen to me, I need to see Saph!” 

He blinked, looking at the other man in confusion, 

“What’s going on?” 

“I’m sorry, Jaune- But your sister is in the treatment area.” 

Jaune stared at him for a moment, slowly processing what he was being told. He glanced to Terra, eyes widening. 

“Take me to her, now.”

“But Jaune-” 

“We’ll go under procedure, we just need to see her,” looking to the other woman, he glanced at Adrien, frowning, “Can Adrien stay with Pyrrha and everyone? Letting you in is one thing, but we can’t have a child in there.” 

It hurt for him to say, but they couldn’t take any chances. He knew Saph would understand. Terra’s brows furrowed as she looked down at her son, frowning. She offered a small nod, running her fingers through his hair, 

“I… Okay, I understand.” 

Jaune called over Pyrrha, letting Terra pass off Adrien, 

“You guys can keep an eye on him right? Nora is great with him so maybe you guys can get him to calm down.” 

She nodded, resting her chin on the child's head, 

“Of course- Jaune what’s happening? Is everything okay?” 

Pyrrha’s face was laced with concern, brows knit. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The whole situation was sinking in. He simply shook his head and made his way out of the building, Terra close behind. Nora came up behind them, immediately making a kissy face at Adrien. The small boy giggled a bit, reaching his hands out at her. 

Ren raised a brow as the two left, looking to Pyrrha, 

“What’s going on?” 

She handed Adrien over to Nora, biting her lip, 

“Whatever it is, it isn’t good.”

* * *

Jaune pulled his gloves on, handing a pair to Terra along with a mask. She frowned, putting them on regardless, 

“Is this really necessary?”

“We don’t know much about this virus still. While we know it’s transferred through saliva it’s best to be safe.” He murmured, putting a pair of glasses on. 

The two made their way into the area, the entire medical part of the building being converted into a makeshift hospital. Jaune took little time finding out where his sister was, the other students offering their condolences on the way there. He’d gotten so use to their new lifestyle; he never thought he’d be in here to see someone that he knew, even less so his sister. 

As soon as they entered the room, Terra rushed to her wife's side,

"Saph! Have they been treating you well? Who do I have to talk to." She frowned, taking her hands.

Saphron smiled gently, taking her gloved hands,

"I'm doing just fine. I'm feeling a lot better after the medicine." 

She looked to Jaune, smiling sadly,

"I'm sorry, Jaune… I should have been more careful." 

He shook his head, sitting down on the bed next to her, 

"I know, Saph… I just… What were you thinking?" 

Saphron sighed, cocking her head to the side,

"There was a little girl who got separated from her father- I had to do something." 

Jaune groaned, holding her other hand,

"Damn it, Saph."

She laughed resting her head on Terra's shoulder,

"I was able to help get a little girl back to her daddy; I can accept the consequences," she looked to her wife, smiling, "You'd do the same thing for Adrien, wouldn't you?" 

"Well of course but-" 

"Then that's that; there's nothing more to talk about." 

Jaune spoke a bit more with the other med students and professors, doing his best to figure out the situation, 

“So as long as she’s on Antizin she should be fine, correct?” 

His professor nodded, crossing his arms, 

“However it isn’t a permanent solution,” the man pulled off his glasses, rubbing his temple, “It isn’t a cure, Jaune. It just delays the inevitable. If the military stops doing drops, and if we struggle to get them more, we can’t guarantee safety for everyone who's affected.” 

Jaune bit his lip, looking at his feet. 

“The reality is Jaune, we can’t save everyone. You know this,” he placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, sighing, “We’re doing the best we can with what we have.” 

As the man moved to leave he looked back at Jaune, smiling weakly, 

“Your sister has been cleared for now. Just make sure that she keeps the wound cleaned and wrapped up. And of course make sure she comes in for regular status check ups and her injections.” 

Jaune nodded slightly, mumbling, 

“Thank you, professor.” 

He made his way back to his sister, Terra seemingly calmed down now that they were allowing his sister to leave. Saphron’s hand was wrapped up tightly, the small patch of gauze still on her upper arm. Jaune was quick to pull her into a hug, holding her tight, 

“I’m so glad you’re okay, sis.” 

She laughed, pinching his cheek, 

“You don’t need to worry about me, Jaune. I’ll be just fine.” 

He forced a smile, eyes staying downcast. After going through another check and a decent decontamination, the three made their way back to the main building, Saphron more than eager to see her baby. As soon as they made it in the door, Adrien began squirming in Nora’s arms, reaching for his mothers. The woman was quick to scoop up the boy, making sure to give him her unwounded hand to hold onto,

“Oh you missed mommy didn’t you!” She cooed, kissing the little boys cheek.

Adrien giggled, clinging to his mother. Terra kept her arm wrapped around Saphron’s side, looking to the three,

“Thank you for watching him, I know how busy you all are.” 

Nora smiled happily, chirping, 

“Oh no need to thank us! I love kids! We get along so well-”

“Probably because you are one.” Ren offered, wincing as the redhead grabbed his ear. 

Pyrrha smiled, her gaze slowly drifting to Jaune. She could tell something was still wrong, and she intended to find out. Just like he’d always been there to support her, she needed to be there for him. It was obvious something had happened with Saphron, but she didn’t want to bring it up when everyone was happily chatting. 

The group talked a bit more before Adrien had decided it was time for a nap, beginning to fuss in Saphron’s arms, 

“Well it looks like that’s our queue. I’ll see you soon, Jaune. Try not to work yourself to death!” She chuckled, grabbing his cheek. 

He let out a disgruntled noise, his face flushing at the motion. Jaune shook his head, pushing his hair behind his ear, 

“I should get back to the office as it is. I’ve had quite the break as it is.” 

Nora groaned, pouting as she crossed her arms. Ren placed a hand on her head, raising a brow, 

“We’ve gotten him out for a good hour or so, you can harass him more tomorrow.” 

“Fiiiiine! You better eat with us or I will find you.” She squinted, raising an eyebrow. 

Jaune put his hands up, slowly backing towards the hallway, 

“Oh trust me, I know you will.” 

As he took his leave, the three looked at each other skeptically, 

“Is he-?” 

“I’ll go talk to him.” Pyrrha offered, placing a hand on her cheek as she looked down the hallway, “I don’t think we should all approach him at once.” 

Ren nodded, making sure to hold onto Nora as she squirmed,

“You’re right; we don’t want to overwhelm him.” 

“But I want to help! We’re all his friends! We should be supporting him!” 

Ren sighed, dragging her off, 

“And we will, when he’s ready.” 

Pyrrha gave a half smile, watching Nora complain as she was whisked away. She began making her way to the classroom that Jaune had deemed ‘his office’. Peeking in through the small rectangular window, she gave a gentle knock, 

“Jaune? Are you busy?” 

There was a slight clattering from the other side of the door, a quiet curse coming from the blonde. He opened the door, fingers on his temple, 

“Uh, yes- no- I…” Jaune rested his head on the door jam, “I don’t know.” 

“Would you like to talk about it?” 

He made his way back into the room, he slumped down in a nearby office chair, looking deflated. She quietly closed the door behind her, sitting herself on the adjacent desk, 

“What happened, Jaune?” 

As soon as she saw his eyes begin to water, she began to understand what happened. Pyrrha gently took his hand, receiving a squeeze as a response, 

“She… She got infected, P. I don’t… I don’t know what to do. I just feel so… Helpless…” 

“As long as she’s on Antizin, she’ll be fine right? You don’t have to worry about-” 

“We’re running out, Pyrrha. You’ve been out there, you know that we keep finding less and less,” he paused, staring down at his sneakers, “I don’t want to lose her.” 

Pyrrha bit her lip, running her thumb over the back of his hand. He was right. The airdrops were few and far in-between, and it seemed like resources were getting harder and harder to find. While they didn’t have a large amount of active infected survivors, it was still a decent enough group. There was no solution to this problem; all they could do was hope. 

“I’m going to try and head to Colorado.” 

Her eyes widened, mouth slightly agape, 

“Jaune- what are you talking about?” She choked out, blinking. 

“There’s a lab there. They’re working towards a cure. I’ve heard that they’re even producing Antizin. If I can get there maybe I can-” 

“Jaune that’s insane! You’ll get yourself killed!” Pyrrha got up, staring at him, “Those things will kill you!” 

Jaune stood up, looking down at her, 

“So what are we suppose to do!? Just sit here and do nothing!? People are dying, P! Things arn’t going to get better, they won’t change unless we make the change!” 

“That won’t matter if you get yourself killed!” She cried, putting her hands on his shoulders, “Jaune I can’t let you do this.” 

“Pyrrha, this isn’t your choice. I’m doing what I think is right.” 

Pyrrha bit her lip, looking down at the floor. Jaune turned his back to her, beginning to pack a few things up in a bag. He’d die trying to get to that lab, she knew that. Jaune wasn’t a fighter, he wasn’t even very athletic. He was right that things would get worse before they got better, but he shouldn’t be trying to change it by himself. She took a deep breath, glancing up at him.

“I’m coming with you, then.”

Jaune glanced over his shoulder, brows knitting, 

“Pyrrha, please-” 

“No. This is my choice!” She frowned, staring him down, “I’m coming with you. We started in this mess together, and we’ll end it together.” 

He opened his mouth, promptly closing it. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he sighed, 

“Pyrrha, I don’t want you to do this just because of me.” 

“You want to do things for the right reasons, Jaune. And you’re right- no change is going to happen unless we try to do something about it.” 

Pyrrha offered a soft smile, placing her hand on top of his, 

“We’re in this together.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the last pre-written chapter! I'll be posting more chapters in the future, and of course introducing new characters in later chapters. I hope you enjoyed the story up to this point so far!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is my first fic I've ever posted to Ao3~ This was actually a fic I originally posted on the RWBY Amino; unfortunately the guidelines were not going to allow a fic of this nature to be written the way I was planning to, so here we are! I'll be posting a chapter a day up until I've posted what I have prewritten, (up to Chapter 10). I hope you enjoy this mashup! 
> 
> Just an extra note; No Signal was more of a prelude chapter. Future chapters are SIGNIFICANTLY longer. 
> 
> I also have some concept art for characters posted on my Instagram: @MeiliaDeivianaart !
> 
> You can also find me on the RWBY Amino under MeiliaDeivian.


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